There are signs of trouble in the Rajasthan unit of the BJP after the party’s central disciplinary committee issued notice to senior leader Ghanshyam Tiwari on charges of challenging the State leadership and indulging in “anti-party activities.” A defiant five-time MLA, Mr. Tiwari said on Monday that he would give an “apt reply.”
The BJP central leadership has taken a strong view of the activities of Mr. Tiwari, who was a Minister in the Vasundhara Raje government of 2003-09 and is at present MLA from the Sanganer constituency of Jaipur district. For the last two years, Mr. Tiwari has been demanding Ms. Raje’s removal and levelling various charges.
Parallel outfit
The show-cause notice has demanded reply from Mr. Tiwari within 10 days on why he had launched Deendayal Vahini as a parallel forum and was boycotting the party meetings, besides making regular statements against the State leadership. The notice said disciplinary action would be initiated if he failed to reply.
BJP vice-president and in-charge of the State, Avinash Rai Khanna, who was here, said no leader could be above the party. “If any party member has grievances, there are several forums available for raising the issues...,” he said.
Mr. Tiwari told The Hindu that he had not yet received any notice. “I will respond to the notice in a befitting manner when I get it,” he said, adding that he had only raised his voice against “corruption and misgovernance” by the State government.
