BJP Cancels Arson-Accused UP Leader's Induction After Outrage From Party Members

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday cancelled the membership of former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Jitendra Singh Babloo, inducted in the party last week, following a complaint by sitting party MP Rita Bahuguna Joshi that he was allegedly involved in the torching of her house in 2009.

State unit president of the BJP Swatantra Dev Sing has cancelled the membership of Bablu, joint media incharge of the BJP Himanshu Dubey said in a press statement.

Expressing shock over Babloo's induction, Joshi, who is the sitting BJP MP from Allahabad, had alleged that Babloo might have hidden the facts from the party leaders. "In July 2009 when my house was set ablaze in Lucknow, he (Bablu) was in the forefront and he was found guilty during investigations," Joshi, who was in the Congress at that time, had alleged.

"I believe that he has kept the party in the dark and joined the party. The doors of the BJP are open to all and I have full faith that the state unit president was not aware of his criminal background and that he is an accused in the housing burning case," Joshi had alleged.

She had said she would talk to the state and central unit president of the party in this matter and appeal to them to end his membership.

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Joshi's house in Lucknow was set on fire in 2009, when Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati was the chief minister of the state, by alleged BSP supporters protesting over derogatory remarks against their party chief.

After his induction, Babloo had claimed innocence in the arson. He also said that allegations against him were frivolous and baseless. He told the media, “I was not even present at the site when the incident was taking place.”

As The Wire has reported, Babloo has been trying to join the saffron camp for the past few years. In 2020, Babloo, former BSP MLA from Bikapur (Faizabad), almost entered the BJP state headquarters for joining but retreated immediately after party workers and functionaries opposed his induction. Swatantra Dev Singh and party organisational secretary Sunil Bansal had then postponed Babloo’s joining.

After the arson incident, Babloo was expelled from the BSP. Joshi had then demanded a CBI probe into the arson. The case was taken over by the CB-CID, which had arrested Babloo in 2011. He was later released on bail.

Analysts had earlier speculated that the BJP may now be trying to induct Babloo despite Joshi's complaint in light of the state assembly polls next year.

(With PTI inputs)

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