BJP has cancelled the membership of Sabir Ali following dissent from many leaders including Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. This was announced by party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad while talking to reporters in New Delhi today.

Mr. Prasad said BJP President Rajnath Singh has asked party members to raise internal issues in party forum only and not go public.

Hours after Ali was inducted into the party yesterday, BJP leader Mukhta Abbas Naqvi in a tweet, called him a friend of Indian Mujahideen terrorist Yasin Bhatkal.

Earlier, Sabir Ali had asked the BJP leadership to put his membership on hold till Naqvi's allegations against him are cleared.

After BJP annulled the membership of Sabir Ali, the expelled JD(U) leader today said he would file a defamation case against BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and challenged him for a debate. Naqvi had yesterday attacked Sabir Ali as a friend of terrorist Yasin Bhatkal and strongly opposed his entry into the party.

Ali had joined BJP following expulsion from the Janata Dal-United, its Lok Sabha candidate from Sheohar after he praised Narendra Modi.