NEW DELHI, Apr 24: The BJP on Wednesday expelled from the party for six years its Bikaner district Minority Morcha president Usman Ghani for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on Muslims during his recent election rallies in Rajasthan.
BJP Rajasthan state disciplinary committee chairman Onkar Singh Lakhawat said Mr Ghani was expelled from the party for six years for “tarnishing” the image of the party in the media. “The party took cognizance of the act of Usman Ghani to tarnish its image and expelled him from the primary membership of the party for six years, considering it a breach of discipline,” Mr Lakhawat said in a statement.
Mr Ghani, while talking to a news channel recently in New Delhi, had said that the BJP was going to lose three-four Lok Sabha seats out of 25 seats in Rajasthan. He condemned Mr Modi’s remarks regarding Muslims during election rallies in the state.
When asked about the remarks of PM Modi regarding Muslims, Mr Ghani had said being a Muslim, he was disappointed at what the Prime Minister said. He said that when he “goes to Muslims to seek votes” for the BJP, the community people talk about the kind of remarks made by the PM and “look for answers” from him.
He also said that the Jat community was angry with the BJP in the state and they have voted against the party in Churu and other constituencies. Mr Ghani had also said he was not afraid if the party takes any action against him for what he was saying.
After a video of Mr Ghani surfaced on social media in which he is talking to a news channel reporter, he was expelled from the party. Bikaner Lok Sabha seat went to polls in the first phase on April 19.
While addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara, PM Modi on Sunday had suggested that if the Congress comes to power, it would “redistribute” wealth to Muslims. He alleged that the Congress plans to give the people’s hard-earned money and valuables to the “infiltrators” and “those who have more children.” The remarks have triggered a backlash from several opposition parties.
(Manas Dasgupta)