BJP expels Champion for 6 years over pistol dance

Dehradun, July 17: Uttarakhand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion, suspended from the party for an indefinite period, was on Wednesday expelled from the party for six years, days after a video went viral showing him dancing with two pistols and a carbine, which raised safety and security concerns.

The BJP disciplinary committee in New Delhi took the expulsion decision, state BJP spokesman Divendra Bhasin said.

After the video went viral, the Haridwar district authorities on Saturday suspended the licences for Champion's three weapons. Dipendra Kumar Chaudhary, District Magistrate of Haridwar, said Champion had been asked to reply within 15 days why the licences of all the three weapons should not be cancelled for the security and safety reasons.

Uttarakhand BJP President Ajay Bhatt on last Wednesday had served the 10-day notice on Champion as the opposition launched a scathing attack on the BJP on the issue.

Led by Uttarakhand party vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana, Congress leaders sought strict action against Champion on the basis of the video and called for filing an FIR against him.

Dancing to the tune of "gup chup" song from the blockbuster Karan Arjun movie, Champion is seen holding a pistol in mouth and a carbine in one hand and a pistol in other. He was also seen abusing Uttarakhand.

The BJP had last month suspended Champion for three months from the party. The suspension followed a preliminary report by the state BJP disciplinary committee, which found him guilty of gross indiscipline and also took cognizance of his alleged threats to a journalist.

Another video had gone viral last month in which Champion was seen threatening an electronic media journalist.

He was also in the news for publicly making fun of Deshraj Karanwal, BJP legislator from Jhabreda. Later Champion also challenged Karanwal for a wrestling match to settle their long-standing disputes. Karanwal, however, did not turn up for the match.

Champion, who wanted a ticket for wife from the Haridwar Lok Sabha seat, had described then sitting MP and now HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank as a "migratory bird".

Champion was among the nine Congress MLAs who had rebelled against Harish Rawat and crossed over to the BJP in 2016. Later, all the nine MLAs were disqualified by the Speaker under the anti-defection law.