BJP leader expelled for offering prize money for cutting Kanhaiya's tongue
New Delhi: The BJP Yuva Morcha leader, who had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for cutting off JNU Students union leader Kanhaiya Kumar's tongue, was on Saturday expelled from primary membership of the party for six years.
The president of district unit of BJP, Harish Shakya, said that the party has expelled district president of BJP Yuva Morcha, Kuldeep Varshnay for six years.
Shakya told reporters that party has nothing to do with Varshnay's controversial statement.
"Varshnay's statement is his personal one and the party has nothing to do with it...he has been expelled from the primary membership of the party for giving such a statement without the consent of party office bearers," he said.
Shakya stated that a notice to remove Varshnay from the post had been issued six months ago, and Ankit Maurya was made working president in his place.
“Kanhaiya has insulted our parent organisation RSS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech at JNU campus and provoked others to raise slogans against ‘Bharat Mata’. His tongue should be chopped off. Anyone who would opt for it, I would give him 5 lakh,” said Kuldeep Varshney, BJYM district president from Budaun, Uttar Pradesh.
Kanhaiya Kumar was released from Tihar jail on Thursday after the Delhi high court granted him bail following his nearly three-week-long incarceration in a case of alleged sedition.
Kanhaiya returned to Jawaharlal Nehru University campus amid loud cheers and celebrations by students and teachers. In his speech, Kanhaiya said, “Modiji only says ‘mann ki baat’, but doesn’t listen to it.”
The BJP and the Modi government, now introspecting on how politically prudent was the move to crack down on the JNU students over the nationalism issue, chose to ignore the beginning of the rise of Mr Kanhaiya Kumar in national politics. Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu tried to dismiss him by claiming that Kumar was “enjoying free publicity”. Trying to ridicule the JNUSU president, Naidu said Kanhaiya Kumar should join his “favourite party” (Left) which does “not even have single-digit” representation in Parliament. Yet again playing the nationalism card, Mr Naidu dared Mr Kumar to “condemn” the anti-India slogans that were allegedly raised on the JNU campus. “Universities are meant for education. They must study rather than getting involved in politics. If they are interested in politics, then they can leave studies and join politics,” Naidu said.
Kumar represents All India Students' Federation (AISF), the students' front of Communist Party of India (CPI), which has one seat each in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
