BJP was today left red-faced as it inducted Pramod Muthalik, the controversial Sri Ram Sene chief linked with the attack on women at a pub in Mangalore in 2009, only to dump him within hours after opposition from within and severe flak from other parties.

Muthalik, who is facing some 45 cases including those relating to promoting enmity between two communities, was welcomed into the party fold in the presence of Karnataka party president Prahalad Joshi, former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and former Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa at a function in Hubli.

But as Congress and other parties latched on the issue to attack BJP and rumblings began within the saffron party, BJP President Rajnath Singh directed Joshi to rescind the move.