The Rajasthan unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has expelled its spokesperson Krishan Kumar Janu for six years after he purportedly criticised the party’s treatment of former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik and ex-Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, The Hindu reported on Sunday.

The expulsion came after a video where Janu is reportedly heard criticising BJP leaders over what he described as the “humiliating treatment” meted out to Malik and Dhankhar was widely circulated on social media.

Janu claimed that he was deeply hurt after witnessing the “disdain” shown towards Malik and Dhankhar, both of whom belong to the Jat community, the newspaper reported.

The former spokesperson also belongs to the same community.

However, in a communiqué on Friday, the BJP cited Janu’s comments made in June opposing the appointment of Harshini Kulhari as its Jhunjhunu district president as the reason for his expulsion.

BJP leader Onkar Singh Lakhawat claimed that the former spokesperson failed to justify his actions in response to a show cause notice issued to him on June 20, and that this proved “a breach of discipline”, The Hindu reported.

Contentious remarks

Referring to Malik’s death on August 5, Janu claimed that the former Jammu and Kashmir governor’s last rites were not conducted with state honours. He also said that Dhankhar was not given a farewell after he had resigned as vice president on July 21.

Malik died on August 5 after a prolonged illness at the age of 79.

The former governor had attracted controversy after claiming that he was offered a bribe to clear files related to two major projects in Jammu and Kashmir. He had also questioned the Union government over issues related to farmers and the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, among others.

Dhankar, on the other hand, had submitted his resignation as vice president on July 21 after citing health reasons. The Opposition had claimed that his resignation was “totally unexpected” and that there seemed to be more to it than what met the eye.

Following his expulsion, Janu told The Indian Express that he had a habit of speaking freely and felt that the party was in the wrong, be it the Dhankhar case or with Malik.

“So, I spoke and wrote against this politics of prejudice and vendetta,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “If Jats in the BJP can’t speak, then what is the point of them staying in the party? What good can they do for the community if they can’t speak out?”

He added: “I had asked questions of Jat leaders in the BJP, be it the MPs or MLAs and not the BJP. But my expulsion means that the party needs deaf and dumb people, not the ones who speak up.”