Punjab BJP expels former state minister Anil Joshi for 'anti-party activities'

Chandigarh: Almost a month after questioning BJP's central leadership on the issue of farmers, the Punjab BJP unit on Saturday expelled its former minister Anil Joshi for anti-party assertions.

Joshi was expelled on the directions of state unit chief Ashwani Sharma, according to a party statement. Joshi did not give up his stubborn attitude of going against the party whereupon state BJP chief Ashwani Sharma on the recommendations of a disciplinary committee expelled him from the primary membership of the party for six years, the statement said.

The movement comes two days after the party issues a show cause notice asking him to explain his recent statements against the policies of the central government, particularly on three farm laws that farmers have been protesting and demanding to revoke them.

According to the notice, Joshi had been making statements against the Union government, party's central leadership and policies.

Earlier, in a two-page reply to the show-cause notice, Joshi said he never spoke against the Centre's farm laws and asked the state party chief if it is indiscipline to talk about farmers. Former Amritsar North MLA asserted that he always spoke about the party's interests. I neither spoke against the Centre's farm laws nor against central leaders, Joshi replied

The former Amritsar (North) legislator, in a reply, said: "I neither spoke against the Centre's farm laws nor against central leadership."

He, in fact, asked state party chief Sharma whether it was an indiscipline to talk about the farmers.