Usman Ghani, the former district president of the BJP’s Minority Morcha in Bikaner, has been expelled from the party for criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks in Rajasthan. The decision was taken by the BJP’s state disciplinary committee chairman, Onkar Singh Lakhawat, who alleged that Ghani had attempted to “tarnish” the party’s image in the media.
Ghani had expressed displeasure with Modi’s comments regarding Muslims during election rallies in the state. He had said that being a Muslim, he was disappointed with the Prime Minister’s remarks and that the Muslim community was looking for answers from him. Ghani also condemned Modi’s suggestion that the Congress would “redistribute” wealth to Muslims if it came to power, calling it an attempt to divide society on religious lines.
In addition to his criticism of Modi’s remarks, Ghani also claimed that the BJP was going to lose three-four Lok Sabha seats out of 25 seats in Rajasthan. He attributed this to the party’s handling of the Jat community in the state, which he said was angry with the BJP and had voted against the party in Churu and other constituencies.
After a video of Ghani’s comments surfaced on social media, the BJP state disciplinary committee took action against him. Lakhawat said in a statement that Ghani had been expelled from the party’s primary membership for six years for breaching discipline. The Bikaner Lok Sabha seat went to polls in the first phase on April 19.
Modi’s remarks have triggered a backlash from several opposition parties, who have accused him of trying to polarize voters along religious lines. The Congress has said that Modi’s comments are “divisive” and “dangerous”, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has called them “irresponsible”.
