Days after swipe at CM Nayab Saini, Haryana BJP puts Anil Vij on notice

In an unprecedented move, the BJP on Monday issued a show-cause notice to senior Haryana minister Anil Vij for allegedly breaching party discipline through his public statements against Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and state party chief Mohan Lal Badoli.

The notice, issued by Badoli on the directions of the national party president, accuses Vij of making “serious allegations that are against the party’s policy and internal discipline”. Vij, who holds the No. 2 position in the Nayab Singh Saini government, has been asked to respond within three days.

The notice strongly criticised the timing of his remarks, stating that such statements by a senior minister during the Delhi Assembly elections were “unacceptable” and aimed at harming the party.

Vij, a seven-time MLA from Ambala Cantonment and the BJP’s senior-most legislator in the state, recently made disparaging remarks against CM Saini, accusing him of being disconnected from the ground reality. “Ever since he assumed office, he has been flying around on his ‘udan khatola’ (chopper). He will only be able to see the suffering of the people if he comes down,” Vij had said.

This swipe at Saini followed Vij’s threat to observe a fast-unto-death, alleging non-compliance with his orders. A visibly upset Vij, who oversees the energy and transport departments, also reportedly skipped the monthly meeting of the district grievance committee in Sirsa.

His discontent reportedly stems from the lack of action against officials, employees and small leaders who allegedly worked against him during last year’s Assembly elections. He claimed that a senior leader tried to ensure his defeat and even orchestrated an attack on him.

Additionally, Vij had earlier demanded Badoli’s resignation on “moral grounds” after the state party chief was named in a rape case in Kasauli. A senior BJP functionary stated that the party would adopt a “zero-tolerance” approach to indiscipline and follow due process as per the party constitution for any action against Vij.