Varun Gandhi tweets in favour of Lakhimpur Kheri farmers, finds himself out of BJP`s national body

The removal comes at a time when Varun Gandhi has been quite vocal regarding the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. The BJP MP has been speaking in support of farmers during their ongoing stir against the three agri laws.

New Delhi: When  BJP president JP Nadda announced the 80-member National Executive of the party on Thursday (October 7), these names were missing - BJP MP Varun Gandhi, who has been speaking in support of farmers during their ongoing stir against the three agri laws, his MP mother Maneka Gandhi and former Union minister Birender Singh, who has also been sympathetic to the farmers' cause. All of them have been dropped as executive members.

The removal comes at a time when Varun Gandhi has been quite vocal regarding the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. Sources in the party said, according to ANI, that Pilibhit MP's stance on the incident was not taken well by the top BJP leadership.

"He projected as if the entire fault lies at the doorsteps of the leaders. We are awaiting the investigation report and believe that incident was unfortunate. He should have been patient at a time when the entire opposition is targeting the party," ANI quoted a senior BJP leader.

However, others in the party reportedly refused to read much in the incident with sources saying such rejigs are a part of regular exercise.

Not just Varun, even his mother and Sultanpur MP Maneka Gandhi has been excluded from the body. The national executive council is one of the most powerful panel's in the party which takes crucial decisions on shaping the future course of action for the BJP and the government.

However, a senior leader from Uttar Pradesh said that it is the prerogative of the party President JP Nadda to decide who to admit to the national executive council and claimed that they had been replaced by equally able leaders from the state. "There are other senior leaders from UP who have become part of the council in their place. There are atleast ten. They must have lost their utility or relevance. We have seen the statements of the son on various occasions. It is after all the party's decision," the leader said, as per ANI. The Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are scheduled to take place early next year.

Earlier on Thursday , Varun Gandhi shared a video allegedly showing farmers being run over in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district, an incident that led to eight deaths, and said that justice must be delivered before a message of arrogance and cruelty enters the minds of farmers. 

Taking to Twitter, the MP from Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit shared a video and wrote, "The video is crystal clear. Protestors cannot be silenced through murder. There has to be accountability for the innocent blood of farmers that has been spilled and justice must be delivered before a message of arrogance and cruelty enters the minds of every farmer."

Notably, Gandhi has been vocal about the incident and wrote to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday, and demanded strict action against culprits. He also suggested a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe in a time-bound manner in the case. He paid tribute to farmers killed in the incident and said that Rs 1 crore compensation should be given to the families of victims.

A total of eight people including four farmers died in the violence that took place in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3.

(With ANI inputs)