The Punjab BJP on Saturday expelled former State Minister Anil Joshi from the party for six years.
The action against Mr. Joshi came after he gave his reply to a show-cause notice issued by the BJP’s State unit for his “anti-party” activities.
According to the notice, Mr. Joshi had been making statements against the Centre, the party’s central leadership and policies. Mr. Joshi was expelled on the directions of State unit chief Ashwani Sharma, according to a party statement. Mr. Joshi did not give up his stubborn attitude of going against the party, whereupon State BJP chief Ashwani Sharma, on the recommendations of a disciplinary committee, expelled him from the primary membership of the party for six years, the statement said.
Earlier, in a reply to the show-cause notice, Mr. Joshi said he never spoke against the Centre’s farm laws and asked the State party chief if it was indiscipline to talk about farmers. The former Amritsar North MLA asserted that he always spoke about the party’s interests. “I neither spoke against the Centre’s farm laws nor against the Central leaders,” Mr. Joshi replied.
‘Talking about farmers’
He asked Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma whether it was indiscipline to talk about farmers. “Is it indiscipline to talk about arhtiyas, industrialists, small traders and labourers,” he asked.
He added the workers are leaving the party and asked the State BJP chief whether giving a suggestion to save the party was indiscipline.
Mr. Joshi also pointed out that initially, farmers protesting against the farm laws in the State had a few demands that could have been handled had the BJP’s Punjab unit made some efforts.
‘Blaming the party’
Mr. Joshi has been blaming the party’s State leadership for not giving a correct feedback to the Centre on the farm laws. He had also stated that it had become difficult for party workers to come out of their homes.
