BJP issues show cause notice to lawmaker Sakshi Maharaj

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a showcause notice to its lawmaker Sakshi Maharaj in response to his recent controversial comments.

The party has reportedly given him ten days to reply to the notice.

The action against Sakshi Maharaj comes days after his latest comment - that Hindu woman should "give birth to four children to protect the Hindu religion" - created a storm, with political opponents demanding an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP has maintained that it has urged its activists to promote the government's good work and avoid making unnecessary statements.

Over the last couple of months, the BJP has been struggling to control some of its parliamentarians who have been making controversial statements one after the other.

Last month, at a closed-door meeting, Prime Minister Modi had asked them not to cross the "lakshman rekha" and made it clear that it was non-negotiable.

Apart from Sakhsi Maharaj, the other two lawmakers in the dock are union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and BJP lawmaker Yogi Adityanath.