India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday expelled its Uttarakhand state legislator Pranav Singh Champion from party-fold for six years, days after a purported video of his brandishing guns and dancing at a house party became viral on social media. Uttarakhand BJP chief Ajay Bhatt had last week served a show-cause notice on Champion, who was already suspended from the party, asking why he should not be expelled from the party.
Champion was suspended from the BJP last month for three months. He was also accused of threatening a journalist in New Delhi. Bhatt said "the BJP is a party which does not compromise on principles. Indiscipline by anyone cannot be tolerated." BJP's media in-charge and Rajya Sabha member Anil Baluni told reporters that the party has taken cognizance of his serial public misconduct and expelled him for six years.
Champion is no stranger to controversies. He was also in the news a couple of months ago for publicly indulging in a war of words with BJP lawmaker from Jhabreda constituency Deshraj Karnawal and challenging him to a wrestling bout. Champion had crossed over to the BJP from the Congress in 2016.