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Gujarat: Intimate photos of BJP youth leader goes viral on social media, party says he was suspended

Vaniya was earlier arrested by B Division police of Surendranagar on June 19 in connection with a case of alleged assault on police, dacoity, rioting.A day after semi-nude photographs of a BJP youth wing leader with foreign girls went viral, the Surendranagar district unit of the party said that he had been suspended last month after leaders “learned about his character.” Interestingly, while the photos were shared on social media, Deepak Vaniya, secretary of Wadhwan city unit of the youth BJP was in jail in connection with a case of alleged assault on police and rioting.

The photos showed Vaniya sharing intimate moments with a Thai girl in a semi-naked condition. The photos were first shared in ‘Garvi Gujarat, BJP Gujarat’ WhatsApp group run by Chirag Patel of Surendranagar. “The photos were shared by Vaniya himself on Saturday. But I was out of station and came to know about it only on Sunday. Vaniya himself had shared them and had even used them as his profile pictures,” Chirag, who identifies himself as a BJP supporter told The Indian Express.

He added that he was earlier a volunteer of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), the outfit of Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel but had later started supporting the BJP. “My group has around 200 BJP leaders as its members. Vaniya is one of them,” he said.

Vaniya was earlier arrested by B Division police of Surendranagar on June 19 in connection with a case of alleged assault on police, dacoity, rioting. He had spent four days in the custody of B Division police before he was sent to judicial custody on June 24. Police have also arrested four others in connection with the case.

However, Dilip Patel, president Surendranagar district unit of BJP said they had suspended Vaniya last month. “After learning about his behaviour and character, we had orally suspended Vaniya around three months ago. After further evidence emerged against him, he was formally suspended from the primary membership of the party permanently on June 21. He ceased to be a BJP worker since then. Therefore, we have nothing to with his photos on social media now. A leader must have a character and Vaniya was found lacking it,” Patel told The Indian Express.

Chirag, on the other hand, said he was not aware of Vaniya was in jail. “I am not aware where Vaniya is. But as administrator of the group, I can confirm that the photos were shared from Vaniya’s account,” he said.

Mrugesh Rathod, president of Surendranagar district unit of Youth BJP said Vaniya was made the secretary of Wadhwan city unit of the Youth BJP around one-and-a-half year ago. “But of late, he had become inactive and was not attending even party meetings,” he added.

While Chirag claimed ‘Garvi Gujarat, BJP Gujarat’ WhatsApp group had BJP leaders as its members, Rathod said it was not an official group of the party.