BJP suspends VMC corporator Ashish Joshi, days after mothers of Harni boat tragedy victims questioned CM at Vadodara event

On Thursday, in a letter to Joshi, the BJP said it had taken the step to suspend him, considering the “repeated reminders to mend ways” had gone unheeded. The suspension letter, signed by BJP Vadodara unit chief Jayprakash Soni, states, “Time and again, you have been reminded to maintain discipline in writing as well as through verbal communication… On several occasions, your behaviour and conduct have damaged the image of the party. You were also served a show-cause notice in this regard, but no improvement has been seen in your conduct.”

“It has come to our notice that you have joined in damaging the image of the party in several instances… The same has been proven adequately by way of social media posts as well as newspaper reports… Considering these factors, as per the directions of the State party President, you are suspended from the party’s active and primary membership.”

The suspension comes two days after Joshi said in an interview on a social media channel regarding the two mothers questioning CM Patel, and spoke about justice being denied to the families due to the delay in adding officials of VMC as accused in the case.

In March this year, days after Soni was appointed as the city unit president, the BJP issued a show cause notice to Joshi to “explain repeated indiscipline”, just two days after Joshi got into a bitter argument with the then municipal commissioner Dilip Rana in the General Board meeting of the civic body over the cleaning of stormwater drains in his ward. In February, Joshi left the BJP embarrassed during the annual budget sessions when he “voted against” the party’s whip on a question related to the compensation for victims of the Harni boat tragedy.

Based on a proposal before the Congress party as part of its budget recommendations, VMC held a vote to decide whether the civic body should award the families of 14 victims of the Harni tragedy a compensation of Rs 25 lakh. While all other BJP corporators voted against the suggestion, Joshi, along with seven Congress corporators, voted in favour.

Joshi has been supporting the families of the 14 victims, including 12 students and two school teachers who were killed in the boat capsize. He has been demanding exemplary compensation from VMC for the victims of the Harni boat tragedy, and also forged a bond Raksha Bandhan last year when the mothers of deceased students Roshni Shinde and Alishba Kothari tied rakhis on his wrist.

Joshi, who is the corporator of the VMC ward where the New Sunrise School is located and from where most of the deceased belong, publicly said following the tragedy he “felt guilty being part of the system” that could “not provide a safe picnic spot to the innocent”. A first-time corporator, Joshi said VMC officials, who should have been responsible for checking the fitness certificate of the boats and other safety measures, should be suspended.

Joshi has vowed not to visit the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya until those responsible for the boat capsize are brought to justice.