The high-profile dismissal of BJP leader Ram Jethmalani from the party wasn’t a witch-hunt against dissenters but was rather his own fault for failing to respond to an intra-party notice, BJP vice president Smriti Irani said. Speaking to reporters, Irani said that the party’s Parliamentary Board was forced to take action.
“Mr Jethmalani upon being found to have indulged in indiscipline was asked to explain himself. He failed to respond… the failure forced the party’s Parliamentary Board to expel him,” Irani said, insisting that the BJP had an “environment of dialogue and it is a very democratic set-up.”
Jethmalani, considered one of the top legal voices of the country, was finally expelled on Tuesday on grounds of ‘breach of discipline.’
“The Central Parliamentary Board after considering all your replies, responses and letters was of the unanimous opinion that you have indulged in a breach of discipline. The Parliamentary Board, therefore, decided to expel you for a period of six years from the primary membership of the party,” the letter issued to Jethmalani read.
Irani, who has been appointed as the in-charge of Goa ahead of the lok Sabha polls, rubbished the suggestion that the BJP was becoming increasingly wary, uncomfortable and intolerant of dissent within the party.
The BJP’s National Executive will begin here shortly bringing the party’s national leaders, in a meet that is expected to give direction to the party’s lok Sabha campaign scheduled to begin less than a year from now.