NEW DELHI, March 4 -- In what can be seen as a move to undergo an 'image makeover,' the BJP leadership has made it clear that there is no space for hate speeches that serve as fodder for the Opposition and embarrass the ruling party.

The BJP dropped controversial figures like Bhopal MP Sadhhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and MPs Parvesh Singh Verma and Ramesh Bidhuri from Delhi, as well as Jayant Sinha from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.

Pragya was removed due to her comments on killed ATS chief Hemant Karkare and Godse, while Parvesh and Bidhuri were sidelined for hate speeches disturbing communal harmony. These leaders have courted controversies with their remarks inside and outside Parliament. Hours before the announcement of the first list, Sinha o...