Monday, December 5 2005 18:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Uma Bharati was today (Dec 5, 2005) expelled from the primary membership of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for indiscipline and anti-party activities.

Announcing her expulsion, party spokesman Arun Jaitley told reporters that the Central Parliamentary Board, which met to consider the reply of Bharati to the show cause notice issue to her, decided to expel her because the matter was one of 'indiscipline.'

"To take the issue away from this, Bharati took up many other issues which are neither germane (to the notice) nor true," he said.

"It (the language used by her) is not the issue of dignified politics," he said.

Jaitley said nine of the 13 MLAs, who had supported Bharati and were asked to explain their conduct, have 'apologised'. He said the state party unit has sent its recommendation relating to the 13 MLAs and the central leadership would take a decision on that. He did not elaborate on the recommendation.

Asked if Bharati episode would damage the party, Jaitley said it was all a matter of speculation. The BJP wanted to enforce discipline and wanted to ensure smooth governance in Madhya Pradesh in the remaining three years.

The central leadership would extend full support to the state unit and the new Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan in the running of the Government.

Bharati, who was suspended last week after she attacked the leadership for making Chauhan the Chief Minister, was given a show cause notice asking her to explain her action within 72 hours which ended yesterday.

At a public meeting in Raisen in Madhya Pradesh yesterday, she read out her reply to the party in which she accused the party leadership of being incapable of fulfilling its responsibilities.