Haryana: BJP show cause notice to minister Anil Vij for swipes at CM

The BJP on Monday issued a show cause notice to Haryana minister Anil Vij over his repeated targeting of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini and state unit chief Mohan Lal Badoli.

"It is informed that you have recently made public statements against the party (state) president (Badoli) and the chief minister's post. These are serious allegations and are against the party's policy and internal discipline," Haryana BJP chief Badoli said in the notice in Hindi.

Badoli said the notice to Vij was being issued according to the instructions of BJP national president J.P. Nadda. "We expect you to give a written explanation on this subject within three days," it said. Vij was also told that his "move is not only against the ideology of the party but it has also come at a time when the party was campaigning for elections in a neighbouring state (Delhi)".

"During election time, while holding a respected ministerial position, you have made these statements knowing that they will harm the image of the party. This is completely unacceptable," the notice read.

Vij (71), a seven-time MLA from Ambala Cantonment, had been consistently targeting Saini. The chief minister, however, sought to play down the issue, claiming that the energy and transport minister was not upset and as a senior party leader, he had the right to say what he felt.

Last week, Vij shared some images on social media, claiming that "workers" seen with a "friend" of Saini were also seen with an Independent candidate whom he defeated in the state assembly polls in October 2024. Vij had won the Ambala Cantt seat and became MLA for the seventh time after defeating independent candidate Chitra Sarwara.

On 31 January this year, Vij said it had been more than 100 days since he publicly raised the issue of those (including officials), who "played a role" in trying to defeat him in the polls but no action was taken against them. Taking a dig at Saini, he had said, "Since assuming office, he (Saini) has been on an udan khatola (helicopter). If he comes down, he will see the suffering of the people."

On 30 January, Vij had expressed strong displeasure over officials not complying with his orders and said for the sake of his Ambala Cantt constituents, he was prepared to go on a fast unto death like farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal.

Earlier, Vij had said Badoli should resign as state BJP chief after being booked in a rape case to maintain the "sanctity" of the party until he was found to be innocent in the Himachal Pradesh police investigation into the matter.

Last week, six people, including a woman, who had accused Badoli and singer Rocky Mittal of rape, were booked for extortion and criminal intimidation. In a related development, the Himachal Pradesh Police filed a cancellation report in a court recently in the alleged gangrape case against Badoli and Mittal.

Solan superintendent of police Gaurav Singh said the cancellation report was filed in court recently as no truth was found in the allegations and owing to lack of evidence.

Vij had often remained at loggerheads with the previous BJP government in the state led by M.L. Khattar, who is now a Union minister. When the BJP came to power in Haryana for the first time on its own strength in 2014, Vij along with a few other BJP leaders including Ram Bilas Sharma was one of the frontrunners for the CM's post, but the party went with Khattar, a first-time MLA then, as its choice.

In March 2024, Vij was said to be upset with the BJP for not keeping him in the loop when the party decided to replace Khattar as chief minister and bring Saini in his place.

Vij had then said he came to know about it only in the BJP MLAs' meeting in Chandigarh in which Saini's name was announced. In September 2024, days before the assembly polls, Vij had said he would stake claim to the chief minister's post if the party came to power.