Suspended BJP Lawmaker Kirti Azad Gets Subramanian Swamy’s Support

NEW DELHI: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today appeared to question the party’s decision to suspend Kirti Azad for attacking Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over the DDCA row, asking whether cricket fell within the purview of party discipline.

“Kirti issues are 1 — is cricket affair within the purview of party discipline. 2 — due to SC case on BCCI, is party decision amenable in court,” Mr Swamy said on twitter.

His tweet came as BJP veterans LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Shanta Kumar and Yashwant Sinha went into a huddle over developments in the party in the wake of Mr Azad’s suspension.

Mr Azad has sought intervention of the ‘margdarshak mandal’, comprising Mr Advani, Mr Joshi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, which was formed by BJP president Amit Shah after he took over the party reins.

The four leaders, who had criticized the Modi-Shah team after BJP’s drubbing in Bihar Assembly election last month, are learnt to have discussed the situation arising out of Mr Azad’s suspension.

Cracking the whip, BJP had yesterday suspended its lawmaker, who has been leading a campaign against Mr Jaitley on alleged corruption in DDCA, charging him with indulging in anti-party activities and accusing him of “colluding” with Congress and AAP to bring it into “disrepute”.

PTI