Anil Vij, a minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Haryana, on Sunday called for the resignation of his party’s state unit president Mohan Lal Badoli, who has been booked for the alleged gangrape of a woman, reported The Indian Express.

“He is an accused under Section 376D [Indian Penal Code section pertaining to gangrape],” Vij was quoted as saying by the newspaper. “How can such a person chair a meeting of women? To uphold the party’s principles, he should step down immediately.”

Vij, who holds the labour, energy and transport portfolios, added: “Even our senior leaders, like Advani Ji, resigned when allegations were made against them. He is not above them.”

Badoli and singer Rocky Mittal were booked in a gangrape case in Himachal Pradesh in December. Both of them have denied the allegations.

Badoli became the Haryana BJP chief in July, ahead of the Assembly polls. He was the MLA from the Rai constituency between 2019 and October 2024 and had lost the Lok Sabha polls from Sonipat in June.

Mittal had joined the Congress in August.

Vij had first said that Badoli should resign from his post on January 18. “I trust he will prove himself innocent in the investigation by Himachal Pradesh Police,” the minister had said. “However, until then, to maintain the sanctity of the party, he should submit his resignation from this post.”

His latest statement came days after he threatened to start an indefinite hunger strike “like farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal”, alleging that state officials were not complying with his instructions.

Dallewal has been on a hunger strike since November 26 at Khanauri, located on the Punjab-Haryana border. The strike is part of a wider campaign to press the Centre to accept farmers’ demand for legally guaranteed minimum support prices, or the rate at which the government procures crops from farmers.

On Thursday, the Vij said that he may not chair meetings of the public grievances committee as his orders were allegedly not being complied with by the officials.

Following his comments, the Haryana government transferred Ambala Deputy Commissioner Parth Gupta to Yamunanagar. He was replaced by Ajay Singh Tomar.

Vij later said: “I had said from an open stage that officials worked against me during the elections. Now, after 100 days, whether someone is transferred or not, it doesn’t matter”.

On Friday, he accused Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini of remaining unreachable.

“The CM never comes down from his flying chariot,” he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express on Friday.

On Sunday, he reiterated the comments. “My conscience feels he [Saini] should come down from the sky and spend time with MLAs and ministers,” he said.

Speaking in Rohtak and Gohana on Sunday, Vij said that while he could lose his ministerial position, his MLA seat was secure. “If they want to snatch it [ministry], they can,” he said. “I don’t care.”

When asked if he regretted never becoming chief minister, Vij responded: “I never wanted, demanded, or sought it, and I will not in the future.”

Regarding the possibility of resigning as a minister, he said: “I have never asked for any post. Even as a minister, I have not taken an official residence. I have only one official car, and even that my workers are willing to provide.”

Ahead of the Assembly elections in Haryana in October, Vij had said that he would stake claim for the chief minister’s post if the party returned to power.

However, soon after, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP’s election in-charge in Haryana, stated that Saini was the party’s chief ministerial candidate.

In March, the BJP replaced Manohar Lal Khattar with Saini as the chief minister ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Quoting unidentified officials, The Indian Express had reported at the time that Vij was unhappy about Saini being made the chief minister. He reportedly voted against making Saini in the legislature party meeting.

He had reportedly skipped Saini’s swearing-in ceremony and left the meeting midway. When asked what transpired in the meeting, Vij had told media persons that those “who have come from Delhi will tell”.