BJP issues show-cause notice to Kamal Patel for 'anti-party activities'

BHOPAL: The BJP state unit show-caused former revenue minister Kamal Patel on Friday, asking him to explain within seven days why action should not be initiated against him for “indiscipline and anti-party activities”.

Patel has been vocal against illegal sand mining in four districts and has demanded the transfer of certain collectors and other officials, alleging their connivance with

sand mafia

. The state leadership is upset by the way Patel attacked his own party’s government over the sensitive issue of illegal mining, say sources.

“The party has served a showcause notice on Kamal Patel since his statements are maligning the party’s image in public. The party considered this as indiscipline and gross violation of party norms. BJP state president

Nandkumar Singh Chauhan

has issued him a notice seeking explanation in a week,” BJP state chief spokesperson Deepak Vijayavargiya said on Friday.

The state party chief and organisation general secretary

Suhad Bhagat

did not comment. When asked about notice, Bhagat parried the query saying, “We will talk about this later.”

Reacting to the reports, Patel told reporters during the day that he had not received any notice as yet. The former minister’s phone was switched off in the evening.

On Monday, Patel filed a petition with NGT against the state government, holding district authorities responsible for illegal mining of sand and damaging the ecology of river Narmada. Patel has also gone hammer and tongs after the district authorities of Harda after his son was externed (banished) from five districts by then collector Srikant Bhanot. Patel accuses a section of officials of being hand in gloves with the sand mafia to encourage illegal mining. Bhanot was transferred a day after he externed Patel’s son. Sources in BJP said the state leadership is also irked over Patel’s demand to remove the Sehore collector.

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