Patna: A day after a senior BJP leader Rajib Ranjan assailed state leadership for demanding compensation to victims of the Saran hooch tragedy, BJP initiated disciplinary action against him for anti-party activities and sacked him from the post. Singh, however, claimed that he resigned from the vice president's post and membership.
Ranjan, former MLA from Islampur in Nalanda district, was vocal about BJP state leadership over the latter's protest against the state government's reluctance to pay compensation to victims of the hooch tragedy. The BJP leaders had staged a sit-in protest in the premises of the state assembly to press for their demand.
BJP state chief Sanjay Jaiswal said that Rajib Ranjan has been suspended for six years for his anti-party activities. In a letter issued on Thursday, Jaiswal said, “Your utterances have been unbecoming of a state vice president and also affected the party's image. You are hereby relieved of your post and suspended for six years.”
He also said that Ranjan's statement was against the party line on the prohibition issue.
“You also ignored warnings given to you orally for such action. Considering it a serious lapse on your part, disciplinary action has been initiated against you,” Jaiswal said, referring to the letter issued on December 29.
However, BJP didn't make it public till Friday afternoon. The matter came to light when Ranjan issued a statement on Friday saying that he has resigned from the vice president's post and membership of the party as well. He alleged that state leadership has deviated from PM Narendra Modi's ideology and vision 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas.'
He further said the BJP never talked about Nalanda, his native district, and remained mostly focused on Patna. “Nalanda is my native district. But it doesn't figure in the priority list of the party,” he said, adding that the party is mainly confined to Patna and little bothered about the whole state.
Ranjan, who was earlier with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) and had represented Islampur seat in the state assembly in 2010, is likely to join JD(U). He joined BJP in 2015. A close confidant said, “Rajib ji had represented the Islampur seat for two consecutive terms before he switched over to the saffron party.”
The development, however, has come as a major embarrassment for the BJP ahead of national president JP Nadda's visit to the state on January 3. Nadda will address a public meeting at Goroul in Vaishali district.