Azad, former cricketer and three time MP from Darbhanga was suspended from the party on Wednesday after he allged huger irregularities in DDCA during the tenure of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as its head.
Advertisement
US embassy in Beijing issues ‘threats against Westerners’ warning
The French Embassy, Britain’s Foreign Office and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs issued similar warnings. The warnings made mention of the upscale Beijing neighborhood of Sanlitun but were otherwise nonspecific.
Asked if the issue of suspension of Azad from BJP after he attacked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over alleged corruption in Delhi cricket body came up for discussion, a veteran said, “It should be obvious, considering the background of the meeting”.
Israeli officers shoot dead a knife-wielding Palestinian
In the occupied West Bank on Thursday, three attacks were carried out on Israeli military and security personnel, injuring three. An ultra Orthodox Jew flashes victory signs at the scene of an alleged stabbing attack in Jerusalem Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015.
Azad requested the prime minister and the “Margdarshak Mandal” comprising Modi, Advani, Joshi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, to look into the disciplinary action initiated against him, wondering whether he has been taken to task for exposing corruption in the construction of Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium.
Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri learned from Jurgen Klopp after Greece sacking
Striker Daniel Sturridge who has been in and out of the team due to recurring injuries is also sidelined for the clash. Midfielder Danny Drinkwater’s injured hamstring is unlikely to be risked, so Andy King looks set to deputise again.
Sources close to the veterans said they were also not happy with the party’s response to their concerns.
Meanwhile, the Darbhanga MP is banking on his clean image in the party, and the fact that he has been raising the DDCA issue for the past nine years.
This was not an official meeting of the “Marg Darshak Mandal” but one of the veterans who also took a stand widely seen as critical of Modi’s and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah’s leadership after the party’s huge defeat in assembly polls in Bihar. Party insiders feel that the action against Azad is harsh and could have been avoided.
He said the party had acted against him for fighting for the truth and upholding the anti-corruption morals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Senior Party leader Subramanian Swamy has told me that he will help me in drafting my reply”, he said. “I have every right to assist him”, Swamy said. “Kirti Azad suspended by BJP”. The move comes after speculations whether the party top brass would ignore Azad’s actions, just as it had ignored another rebel Shatrughan Sinha’s comments after the Bihar election results.
For the last few weeks BJP leaders were annoyed with Azad, for repeatedly raising the alleged DDCA scam both in and out Parliament, and alleging Jaitley had the knowledge about the corruption taking place. This, sources said, was the primary reason the group didn’t issue any statement after the meeting.
Advertisement
Swamy also appeared to question the party’s decision to suspend Azad, asking whether cricket fell within the purview of party discipline.
