Amritsar, July 13

Former Cabinet minister Anil Joshi, while paying obeisance at the Golden Temple and Durgiana Temple today, said he treated his expulsion from the BJP as a “trophy”.

Joshi asserted he had merely spoken up for the farmers protesting the farm laws. “My stand was considered a disagreement with the party’s views on the three laws and my demand for the safety of party workers in the state earned me the wrath of the BJP high command,” he claimed.

Joshi said his apprehensions for the safety of party workers and leaders had proved right as senior state BJP leaders had to save themselves from protesters by taking shelter in a house for 11 hours at Rajpura. — TNS