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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expelled Ram Jethmalani, Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha, for six years from the party’s primary membership, on charges of breach of discipline. On November 25, 2012, the senior lawyer was issued a showcause notice for criticising the party leadership and demanding the resignation of former party president Nitin Gadkari.
Jethmalani had faced the wrath of the BJP leadership after he questioned the decision of Sushma Swaraj, leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Arun Jaitley, leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, to oppose the appointment of Ranjit Sinha as director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The BJP leadership said Jethmalani had failed to respond to charges of embarrassing statements against the party and of levelling allegations against Swaraj and Jaitley without “sufficient cause”.
“The central parliamentary board, after considering all your replies, responses and letters, was of the unanimous opinion that you have indulged in breach of discipline. The board decided to expel you for a period of six years from the primary membership of the party. You have failed to show any sufficient cause for challenging the authority and legitimacy of the party by stating the BJP leadership has no guts to take action against you,” senior party leader Ananth Kumar wrote to Jethmalani.
“You had defied the whip of the party by not voting for the election of the members of the committee on public undertakings on May 6. The above action is without prejudice,” Kumar wrote.
