Jaipur:
The ruling BJP in Rajasthan on Sunday expelled its former MLA Gyan Dev Ahuja, who recently at the center of the temple “purification” controversy with the party’s primary membership.
An order of the party said that action has been taken against Mr. Ahuja after investigation by the BJP’s disciplinary committee.
BJP state president Madan Rathore has ordered the termination of Mr. Ahuja’s party’s primary membership for “undisciplined”.
Mr. Ahuja created a controversy earlier this month, when he attended a consecration ceremony after Congress leader Tikram burnt after spraying Ganga water in a Ram temple in Alwar. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot called Shri Ahuja’s Act an “insult” to a Dalit.
Earlier on Sunday, Mr. Ahuja appeared to present his side before the BJP’s disciplinary committee.
Later, talking to reporters, he said, “I have done nothing.” He claimed that the BJP had made a mistake by expecting the Congress campaigning.
He accused senior Congress leaders, in which its President Mallikrajun Kharge accused of defamation and said that he would file a case in this regard.
After the temple “purification” Act, Mr. Ahuja had said that Congress leaders had questioned Lord Ram’s existence as “no moral rights” to participate in such ceremonies and “boycott” Abhishek ceremony in Ayodhya last year.
He claimed that there was no “Dalit” angle for his act.
The consecration ceremony was held about 20 days ago on the occasion of Ram Navami and the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly at the Ram temple at a residential society in Alwar.
Mr. Ahuja said that he took steps due to the attitude of Congress leaders and attitude towards Lord Ram, not because of Shri Julie being a Dalit.
Mr. Julie had earlier said that this (Ahuja’s Act) was a sign of BJP’s mentality towards Dalits.
Shri Gehlot had said that the incident reflects the “narrow mentality” of the BJP towards Dalits.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is published by a syndicated feed.)
