BJP suspends Rajasthan MLA Prahlad Gunjal caught abusing Health Officer

NEW DELHI: BJP suspended Kota (North) MLA Prahlad Gunjal on Friday after his abuses and threats to the Chief Medical Health Officer (CMHO) R N Yadav regarding the transfer of a male nurse went viral online and created a fresh controversy for the party, which has been struggling to deal with outrage provoked by statements of its leaders from the opposition in parliament.

The suspension was ordered by party president Amit Shah after Gunjal admitted his mistake in a letter sent to Vasundhara Raje on Thursday.

“Party has suspended Gunjal and an inquiry will now be conducted by the Disciplinary committee, which may consider expelling him from the party,” Kailash Nath Bhatt, spokesperson of Rajasthan BJP told ET. The committee will make its observations, which will be considered by the parliamentary board before taking its decision about his expulsion, added Bhatt.

After a regional paper in Rajasthan reported about a tape which had Gunjal’s abuses and was circulated on Watsapp, social media and news outlets raised outrage causing the BJP’s senior leadership take note and initiate action against the two time MLA. Doctors also staged protests against intimidation by politicians.

But more than the party’s inqui ry, it is the police’s investigations which may cause reason for alarm for Gunjal. For, on Thursday evening, the Kota city police had registered two FIR) against Gunjal.