Show cause notice to Gujarat BJP rebel

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday issued a show cause notice to Purushottam Solanki, the member of legislative assembly who spearheaded the revolt against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

"He has been asked to explain within 24 hours his utterances before the media yesterday," state BJP president Rajendrasinh Rana said.

Efforts to contact Solanki, who was asked to apologise in writing, failed as he refused to attend any phone calls.

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On Thursday, Solanki had criticised the CM at the birthday party of BJP leader A K Patel, considered close to Modi's predecessor and detractor Keshubhai Patel, at a farmhouse in Gandhinagar.

Modi was behaving like a dictator and his removal was necessary, Solanki said. "Nobody is listening to the MLAs. Their work is not being done and they are unhappy and demanding a change in leadership."

Sixty-two of the party's 127 legislator wanted Modi out, he added.

On Friday national BJP leaders played down the development.

"There is nothing like any revolt against Modi and there is no cause for change of leadership. It is wrong to say that there is any rebellion against Modi," national BJP treasurer and in-charge of Gujarat affairs, Ramdas Agrawal, said in a statement in Ahmedabad.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh spokesperson Ram Madhav also held that it was wrong to think that the MLAs wanted Modi out.