Bikaner BJP Minority Morcha district president Usman Ghani was expelled from the party on Wednesday for allegedly tarnishing its image. Ghani had recently criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on Muslims during election rallies in Rajasthan and said that the BJP was losing support among Muslims and Jats.
Ghani’s comments came after Modi suggested at a rally in Banswara 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 “infiltrators” and “those who have more children.”
The remarks have triggered a backlash from several opposition parties, including the Congress, which has accused the BJP of trying to polarize voters on communal lines.
Ghani had expressed his disappointment with Modi’s remarks and said that they would cost the BJP three to four Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan. He also claimed that the Jat community was angry with the BJP and had voted against the party in several constituencies.
The BJP state disciplinary committee chairman Onkar Singh Lakhawat said that Ghani’s attempt to “tarnish” the image of the party in the media was a breach of discipline. Ghani was expelled from the primary membership of the party for six years.
The Bikaner Lok Sabha seat went to polls in the first phase on April 19.
