PATNA/NEW DELHI, Nov 24:
In a double whammy for BJP, dissidence mounted in the party with senior MP Shatrughan Sinha today demanding the resignation of party President Nitin Gadkari facing allegations of corruption and Ram Jethmalani attacking its criticism of appointment of new CBI Director Ranjit Sinha.
Sinha, the actor-turned MP from Patna Sahib, joined Jethmalani and Yashwant Sinha in seeking Gadkari’s exit, saying the issue raised by them should be looked at seriously.
“The issue raised by them (Jethmalani and Yashwant Sinha) should be looked at seriously,” Sinha told reporters in Patna replying to a question whether he agreed with the other two BJP leaders’ demand for Gadkari’s resignation.
“He (Gadkari) is a friend but a person occupying a responsibile post should not only be honest but should also be seen as honest,” Sinha added.
Jethmalani, while demanding Gadkari’s resignation, had claimed some other BJP leaders were with him on the demand for Gadkari’s exit as party chief.
The advocate-politician, who has embarassed the BJP earlier by openly demanding Gadkari’s resignation, again put the party in some discomfiture when he attacked Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Sushma Sinha and Arun Jaitley for criticising the appointment of the new CBI Director and said the Government’s decision has “averted national calamity”.
“….I was astonished to read that the BJP has attacked the Prime Minister and the Congress party for what the party calls the fast tracked appointment of Mr. Ranjit Sinha as the Director of the CBI,” he said in a letter addressed to BJP President Nitin Gadkari, copies of which were marked to the Prime Minister and the media.
“I regret that this criticism is a result of complete ignorance of relevant facts and has been instigated by a most undesirable rival who had to withdraw his petition before the CAT yesterday as a result of the appointment,” he said.
Taken aback by Jethmalani’s outburst against the party, BJP indicated it may take disciplinary action against him.
“Jethmalani has been making statements against the BJP President and has now spoken against the two Leaders of the Opposition. We completely deny his charges against them. The party has taken serious note of his statements and strong action will be taken at the appropriate time,” BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said. (PTI)