Agencies
New Delhi, Jul 23: Acting tough, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday expelled eight party Members of Parliament who cross-voted or abstained during the confidence motion in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
At a press conference in New Delhi, senior leader L K Advai slammed the government, saying the trust vote win was 'tainted' .
The party also decided to launch a nationwide agitation against the United Progressive Alliance on 'corruption and degradation' of democratic values of the country.
BJP sources said the party cannot brook indiscipline in its ranks and decided to take extreme action against those MPs who violated the whip issued by the party to vote against the UPA government in the confidence motion.
"We were shocked that a number of MPs voted against the party directive," a senior leader, on condition of anonymity, told PTI.
The sources also refuted allegations raised by Bahujan Samaj party chief Mayawati that the National Democratic Alliance helped the government to sail through because they were opposed to Mayawati woman becoming Prime Minister.
Massive cross voting and abstentions from the Opposition, especially the NDA, helped the UPA score a comfortable victory in the confidence vote last night, belying all predictions of a close contest.
Main opposition BJP was the worst sufferer with six of its MPs voting in favour of the motion moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Sombhai Patel, Babubhai Katara and Brijbhushan Sharan Singh were among the BJP MPs who voted in favour of the government, while Haribhau Rathod was among the party MPs who abstained.
Three BJP MPs, who were having tea in the Parliament House canteen, did not go to the House to cast their votes when the division bell rang in the Parliament House.