NEW DELHI: The BJP on Sunday evening suspended senior party leader Ram Jethmalani from the party and cancelled his membership. This comes in the wake of Jethmalani criticizing his own party for attacking the Congress-led UPA government over the appointment of Ranjit Sinha as the new CBI director.
Earlier, Jethmalani stirred a major controversy when he called for the resignation of BJP president Nitin Gadkari after Arving Kejriwal-led India Against Corruption (IAC) labelled graft charges against him in the operations and shareholdings of his Purti group of companies.
BJP's spokeman Shahnawaz Hussein in a statement said that Jethmalani's comments have only helped the Congress and the party will not tolerate any indiscipline. He also said that taking into account Jethmalani's grave indiscipline, party president Nitin Gadkari has decided to expel him from BJP with immediate effect and a letter regarding the decision has been sent to party's national executive.
With Jethmalani's expulsion, the BJP has sent a strong warning to other dissenters not to go against the party's official line.
Earlier on Sunday, a belligerent Jethmalani dared the party leadership to take action against him for his stand on the issue of the appointment of the new CBI director. He said, "If there is any action taken against me, I will welcome it but I don't think anyone has the guts to take any action against me."
Replying to questions, the Rajya Sabha MP said, "I cannot speak for the party. I am a very small person in the party, I can't predict its action but that does not permit me from speaking the truth ... I have expressed my view and I am very happy that at least 3-4 persons have supported me."
On if there were more people in the party having a similar stand, Jethmalani said, "I am sure there are more. I am 100 per cent sure that there are many more, many more but all don't have the capacity to speak the truth publicly and openly."
Actor-turned MP from Patna Sahib, Shatrughan Sinha joined Jethmalani and Yashwant Sinha in demanding resignation of party President Nitin Gadkari facing allegations of corruption, 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 had told reporters on Saturday in Patna replying to a question whether he agreed with the other two BJP leaders' demand for Gadkari's resignation.
Jethmalani, while demanding Gadkari's resignation, had also claimed some other BJP leaders were with him on the demand for Gadkari's exit as party chief.
(With inputs from PTI)
BJP suspends Ram Jethmalani from party for indiscipline
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BJP suspends Ram Jethmalani from party for indiscipline
