The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday expelled former MLA Gyandev Ahuja after he conducted a “purification” ritual at a temple in Rajasthan’s Alwar following a visit by Dalit Congress leader Tika Ram Jully, The Indian Express reported.

Jully, who is the leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, had visited the temple on the Hindu festival of Ram Navami earlier this month to attend a consecration ceremony, PTI reported.

Following Jully’s visit, Ahuja performed a “purification” ritual at the temple on April 7, claiming that the Congress leader was “anti-Hindutva” and “anti-Sanatan”.

Sanatana Dharma is a term some people use as a synonym for Hinduism.

“This is a Lord Shri Ram temple at whose feet I have sprinkled Gangajal [water from the Ganga river],” the former MLA from Ramgarh was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. “Why Gangajal? Because some impure people came.”

In response to his actions, the BJP on Sunday said that its state president Madan Rathore had “given an order to terminate the primary membership of former MLA Gyandev Ahuja after indiscipline was proved against him”.

The BJP added that its state disciplinary committee had submitted a report about the incident to Rathore, The Indian Express reported. Ahuja had appeared before the committee on Sunday.

Jully is the first Dalit politician in the state to become the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

In response to Ahuja conducting the “purification” ritual, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on April 9 had accused the BJP of “continuously insulting Dalits” and “attacking the Constitution”.

“[Prime Minister Narendra] Modi ji, the country will be run by the Constitution and its ideals, not by Manusmriti, which considers Bahujans as second-class citizens,” the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha had said.

The Manusmriti is a Hindu scripture authored by an ascetic named Manu. The text has been widely criticised for its gender and caste-based codes.

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also said that the incident showed “the ill-will of BJP towards Dalits”.

“Such narrow-mindedness is not acceptable in a civilised society in the 21st century,” the Congress leader had said on X. “It cannot be condemned in the strongest words possible.”

Jully too had called Ahuja’s actions as indicative of the BJP’s mentality towards Dalits, according to PTI.

Ahuja, however, had said that he done nothing wrong and that his actions were against the Congress party, The Indian Express reported. “If there is even an iota of evidence that I have done something wrong, then… I am ready to shave my moustache,” The Indian Express had quoted him as saying.

After his expulsion, Ahuja claimed that the BJP had been misled by Congress propaganda.