Rajasthan BJP spokesperson expelled over controversial remarks

The Rajasthan unit of Bharatiya Janata Party has expelled its spokesperson Krishan Kumar Janu for six years after he questioned the party’s stand on former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik and former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar. Mr. Janu’s controversial remarks reportedly caused an unease within the party ranks.

However, the BJP cited Mr. Janu’s comments made in June this year opposing the appointment of Harshini Kulhari as its Jhunjhunu district president as the reason for his expulsion. BJP State disciplinary committee chairperson Onkar Singh Lakhawat said Mr. Janu had failed to justify his actions in response to a show-cause notice issued on June 20.

Breach of discipline: BJP

In a communique issued on Friday (August 8, 2025), Mr. Lakhawat said the charge of “breach of discipline” against Mr. Janu had been proved after his failure to submit a satisfactory explanation. Mr. Janu’s expulsion from the BJP’s primary membership came shortly after his purported video statement criticising senior BJP leaders was circulated on social media platforms.

Mr. Janu condemned the “humiliating treatment” of Mr. Malik and Mr. Dhankhar, both of whom are Jats, by the BJP’s top leadership and said he was deeply hurt on witnessing the “disdain” shown towards them. He made a reference to not conducting the last rites of Mr. Malik, who died last week, with State honours, and not giving a farewell to Mr. Dhankhar, who had resigned.

The former BJP spokesperson said he wished to pose questions to Jats working in the party, be they the MPs, MLAs or other office bearers, as to how they could be sure that similar treatment would not be meted out to them. “What the BJP is doing with mass leaders is very sad. Though the party is going in the wrong direction through all this, the people are quiet,” Mr. Janu said in the video.

‘Leaders now puppets’

Mr. Janu said the party’s senior leadership was responsible for pushing veteran leaders like L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha, Praveen Togadia, Sanjay Joshi, Vasundhara Raje, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan to the sidelines. “Leaders who were strong at the grassroots have been turned into puppets,” he said.

“One who compromises with his principles out of fear is not a Jat,” Mr. Janu said, urging the Jat leaders within the BJP to speak out against the wrongs.

While the BJP’s disciplinary committee considered the matter seriously and viewed Mr. Janu’s remarks as damaging to the party’s image, the expelled leader reacted sharply and said he would continue to oppose “whatever is wrong in the party”. “I congratulate the people who are happy over my expulsion… I will remain steadfast on my path of ideology,” Mr. Janu said.