A former Green Party health spokesperson has accused the party of shifting away from its core values and trying to silence members with gender-critical views.

Dr Pallavi Devulapalli, a general practitioner and local councillor in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, was expelled from the Green Party this month. 

She claimed her removal was linked to her views on transgender rights, not to a rule violation as stated by the party. “They didn’t come out and say it was about gender. So they expelled me on a technicality,” she was quoted as saying.

Dr Devulapalli had been suspended since September after disagreeing with the party’s policy supporting gender self-identification during a public debate. She was later expelled for attending what she believed was a casual gathering but was ruled to be an official party event, which she was barred from attending due to her suspension, the Guardian reported.

She said: “It feels like a purge. The party is no longer about open debate or green politics. It’s becoming a leftwing authoritarian space. Say the wrong thing and you’re out. That’s worrying.”

She is now part of a group calling themselves “Greens in Exile”, former members who say they were pushed out for holding gender-critical beliefs. Devulapalli argued the party’s stance on Trans rights ignores biological facts and alienates everyday voters. 

She added, “Trans women are not women, this is about science and reality.”

Her removal has sparked debate within the party, especially as a new leadership election approaches. She believes if leadership hopeful Zack Polanski wins, more members will leave. “People are trying to bring back the Greens’ commitment to science and free speech,” she said.

Devulapalli says she has received strong support from within the party, including from former Green leaders and health spokespeople who have urged dialogue over division.