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Senior Indian politician expelled Senior Indian politician expelled
(20 minutes later)
A senior leader of India's Hindu nationalist main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been expelled from the party.A senior leader of India's Hindu nationalist main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been expelled from the party.
Jaswant Singh's expulsion was announced by the party during a meeting.Jaswant Singh's expulsion was announced by the party during a meeting.
This comes a day after the BJP "disassociated" itself from a new book on Pakistan's founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah, written by Mr Singh.This comes a day after the BJP "disassociated" itself from a new book on Pakistan's founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah, written by Mr Singh.
Mr Singh had praised Mr Jinnah in the book and said the latter has been "demonised in India".Mr Singh had praised Mr Jinnah in the book and said the latter has been "demonised in India".
Mr Singh has not yet commented on his expulsion. Mr Jinnah is a controversial figure in India and considered the architect of the partition.
Mr Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, is a controversial figure in India and considered the architect of the partition. Jaswant Singh, a 71-year-old party veteran who has served as finance and external affairs minister in BJP cabinets, has not yet commented on his expulsion.
A party spokesman said on Tuesday that Mr Jinnah had played an important role in the "division of India which led to a lot of dislocation and destabilisation of millions of people". "I had issued a statement yesterday that the party fully dissociates itself from the contents of the book. Today, I put up the matter before the party's parliamentary board which decided to end his [Mr Jaswant Singh] primary membership," party President Rajnath Singh told reporters.
The BJP has begun a three day meeting to review the state of the party. "So he has been expelled. From now inwards he will not be a member of any body of the party or be an office bearer," he said.
It has been plagued by in-fighting and a crisis of leadership after it lost the 2009 general elections.
Party chief LK Advani had offered to resign but was persuaded to stay on after fears of a succession war.
The BJP is still India's second largest party - it has 116 seats to Congress's 206 in the parliament.
The review meeting is an annual affair, but it gains importance this year because of the many problems afflicting the party.
ConfusionConfusion
There have been allegations of indiscipline and infighting within the party, correspondents say. While disowning Mr Singh's book on Tuesday, Rajnath Singh said that Mr Jinnah had played an important role in the "division of India which led to a lot of dislocation and destabilisation of millions of people".
Jaswant Singh has said that his book is a "purely academic exercise, which should be read and understood".
Why the Hindu right love Jinnah
Though the book on Mr Jinnah may have been the immediate provocation, a section of the party leadership has been unhappy with Mr Singh's recent utterances about the BJP, the BBC's Soutik Biswas in Delhi says.
The former foreign minister said in a TV interview that the BJP "cannot be a party of yesterday" and that there was a need for greater "clarity" of its ideology.
Despite attempts to play it down, the BJP is haunted by its Hindu nationalist past.
Our correspondent says questions will now be asked to why senior party leader LK Advani was not similarly punished after he openly described Mr Jinnah as "secular" after a visit to Pakistan in 2005.
Mr Singh's expulsion was announced as the BJP begun a three-day meeting to review the state of the party.
The party has been plagued by in-fighting and a crisis of leadership after it lost the 2009 general elections.
It is still India's second largest party - it has 116 seats to Congress's 206 in the parliament.
The review meeting is an annual affair, but recent developments make this year's event much more important.
Two party lawmakers from the northern state of Rajasthan were suspended on Tuesday for openly supporting former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia in defiance of the party's high command.Two party lawmakers from the northern state of Rajasthan were suspended on Tuesday for openly supporting former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia in defiance of the party's high command.
It wanted her to go as leader of the party's Rajasthan state unit after its indifferent performance in the elections.It wanted her to go as leader of the party's Rajasthan state unit after its indifferent performance in the elections.
There is also confusion over who is expected to succeed Rajnath Singh as the president of the party after his term ends in December.
Questions have also been raised whether the party's veteran leader and mascot LK Advani should continue to be the leader of the Opposition in the parliament till 2014.
A senior leader of the party's ideological fountainhead, the RSS, has said it preferred a younger leadership to take charge of the party - Mr Advani is 81.A senior leader of the party's ideological fountainhead, the RSS, has said it preferred a younger leadership to take charge of the party - Mr Advani is 81.
Many say the party leadership needs young blood
Two dozen top party leaders are expected to discuss these issues and draw a road map for the future of the party during the meeting in the northern hill town of Shimla.
Despite attempts to play it down, the BJP continues to be haunted by its Hindu nationalist past, with the Shimla meeting now dominated by Mr Singh's new book on Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
The former external affairs minister says that Mr Jinnah has been "demonised in India". It also holds former PM Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress party responsible for the partition of the country.
Mr Singh is the second leader of the BJP who has been criticised for his remarks on Mr Jinnah.
In 2005, party chief LK Advani offered to step down after he described Mr Jinnah as "secular", causing a furore in India.