BJP suspemded Ram Jethmalani from immediate effect

Mumbai: BJP on Sunday evening suspended its Rajya Sabha MP Ram Jethmalani saying that his comments have gone against party’s disciplinary line and helped the ruling party.
Earlier, a defiant Ram Jethmalani dared the BJP to act against him for going against the party line by defending IPS officer Ranjit Sinha’s appointment as CBI director, saying “nobody has the guts to take action against me”

Jethmalani who had recently demanded BJP president Nitin Gadkari’s resignation in the wake of charges of alleged dubious funding of the latter’s Purti Group, said many in the party shared his views, but “few had the capacity” to express their views openly.

He, however, clarified that his views on Sinha’s appointment were his own and not of the BJP, where “I am a small person.”

“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,” he told reporters here on the sidelines of a launching of a book written by a city-based journalist.

On Saturday, Jethmalani had attacked the party for criticising the appointment of new CBI Director and said the government’s decision has “averted national calamity”.

On if there were more people in the party having a similar stand, Jethmalani said, “I am sure there are more. I am 100 percent 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 has 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 yesterday in Patna replying to a question whether he agreed with the other two BJP leaders’ demand for Gadkari’s resignation.

Replying to questions, Jethmalani 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 stop me from speaking the truth.”

“I have expressed my view and I am very happy that at least 3-4 persons have support me,” he said.