Kolkata:Former India football star Mehtab Hossain today quit the BJP, a day after he joined the saffron brigade,saying it was his personal decision to be a non-political person and to remain as "mid-field general" among his fans and followers.
On Tuesday 35-year-old former attacking midfielder, who played for Mohun Bagan and East Bengal and served the country at international matches, surprised the political honchos by taking flag from BJP state president Dilip Ghosh while ruling Trinamool Congress was observing "Shaheed Diwas".
'What I was doing wasn't enough. People were really suffering and it wasn't sufficient. That's why I joined politics and decided this was the best way to help people," Mehtab said.
Mehtab Hossain has been busy helping the people of Bengal during the coronavirus pandemic but he said his efforts were not enough.
He got together with a group of 35 footballers to do a lot during these tumultuous times but Mehtab said he realised he had to go that extra mile.Hossain said in the BJP headquarters that he was joining the Bharatiya Janata Party to help people, which he could not do now.
A legend in the Indian football fraternity, Mehtab had said joining politics was the best way to help his fellow Indians in trying circumstances and tough times. However, in a post today Mehtab Hossain said after his joining, he was getting messages from his fans and followers to shun politics.
He said even his wife and sons and family friends were unhappy about his joining politics and insisted that he should quit and to be remain a non-political person.He said his latest decision to be a non-political person was of his own and no one influenced him to quit.
However, there was no immediate comment from the BJP regarding Mehta's reversal decision.BJP state president Dilip Ghosh today rushed to New Delhi following a
summon by party's high command.He flew along with Rahul Sinha, a day after Mukul Roy flew to the national capital.(UNI)