The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday expelled its spokesperson, Krishna Kumar Janu, for six years, following his remarks that criticised the party leadership’s alleged treatment of the late Satya Pal Malik and former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

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Officially, the expulsion order, issued by Onkar Singh Lakhawat, chairperson of the BJP’s state disciplinary committee, cited Janu’s earlier comments in June opposing the appointment of Harshini Kulhari as BJP’s Jhunjhunu district president. The order noted that Janu had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation to a show-cause notice issued on 20 June.

What did Krishna Kumar Janu say in criticism of BJP leadership?

The controversy gained traction after a video of Janu went viral recently. In it, he criticised BJP’s Jat leaders for remaining silent over what he called the “tiraskar” (disdain) shown towards Malik and Dhankhar, both belonging to the Jat community.

Janu said watching the last rites of Malik, a former Governor and ex-BJP national vice president, without the honour of a state funeral was deeply hurtful. He questioned Jat MPs, MLAs, and other party members on why they believed similar treatment would not befall them.

Janu also accused the BJP’s current leadership of sidelining veteran leaders such as LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha, Praveen Togadia, Sanjay Joshi, and Vasundhara Raje. He claimed that former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had been reduced to a “puppet” under the present regime.

He warned that the party’s approach towards mass leaders who retain strong grassroots popularity was taking it “in the wrong direction” and expressed confusion at the silence of party members over these issues.

Appealing to Jat leaders’ sense of history, Janu noted that their community had previously spoken against inconsistencies in the Sanatan tradition and had stood by reformers like Guru Nanak Dev, Jambhoji Maharaj, and Dayanand Saraswati. He criticised the absence of a state funeral for Malik, suggesting it reflected prejudice and fear within the government. “The one who compromises with his principles on account of fear is not a Jat,” he said.

Janu questions Dhankhar’s exit

Janu also questioned the unusual departure of Jagdeep Dhankhar as Vice President, who resigned weeks ago citing health reasons. He pointed out that Dhankhar received neither a farewell speech nor a farewell event.

“It is Jat’s sanskar (culture) to clash with an arrogant government,” Janu declared, urging Jat leaders within the BJP to speak out against perceived wrongs.

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The remarks have caused unease within party ranks, especially given the sensitivity around both Malik’s death and Dhankhar’s resignation. However, BJP leaders have maintained that Janu’s removal was a disciplinary matter linked to internal appointments.

As per reports, one of the flashpoints behind Dhankhar’s exit as V-P was his swift acceptance of an Opposition motion in the Rajya Sabha to remove Justice Yashwant Varma, while the government was still building consensus for a similar Lok Sabha move. BJP insiders saw this as a premature decision, causing embarrassment and irritation within the Treasury benches. Thus, worrying the BJP leadership.