BJP Suspends Bengal Leader Abhijit Das On 'Disciplinary Grounds', Issues Show-Cause Notice

Das is reportedly accused of organising a protest by local BJP workers during the visit of a party 'fact-finding' team looking into alleged violence against party members after the Lok Sabha polls.

Das lost in the Lok Sabha elections against TMC's Abhishek Banerjee significant margin of 7.1 lakh votes.

Source : PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a show-cause notice to Abhijit Das, a member of the party in West Bengal, on disciplinary grounds and suspended him. Das was the party's candidate from Kolkata’s Diamond Harbour against Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. Das is reportedly accused of organising a protest by local BJP workers during the visit of a party 'fact-finding' team looking into alleged violence against party members after the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

According to an Indian Express report, Das, the former president of BJP for the South 24 Parganas district, is also accused of not attending a party meeting on Tuesday and creating a rift within the local party unit.

Speaking to the national daily, Das said he hadn't received a copy of the letter, and questioned why it had been made public.

The central fact-finding team includes BJP MP and former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb, former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajya Sabha MP and former Uttar Pradesh director general of police Brij Lal, and Rajya Sabha MP Kavita Patidar. It reached Kolkata on Sunday evening.

On Tuesday, while the team was visiting different areas in Diamond Harbour affected by the alleged post-poll violence, they reportedly faced a protest by local BJP workers. The protesters claimed that the party leadership had neglected the plight of workers who had become homeless since the counting process ended on June 4, IANS reported.

A state committee member of the BJP told IANS that they came to know that the protesters were close confidants of Das. He was subsequently issued a “show-cause notice" and asked to give a reply within seven days.

“Till further orders from the high command his membership from the party has also been temporarily terminated," the member added. 

West Bengal BJP president and Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar confirmed the development and said action had been initiated against Das on disciplinary grounds. 

Das lost the Lok Sabha election from Diamond Harbour by a margin of 7.1 lakh votes.