The fresh allegations against Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the DDCA scam have put BJP on the back foot. Anti-party activities by Kirti Azad and Shatrughan Sinha has added flavor to the fiasco along with fresh attack on BJP by the AAP demanding Jaitley’s resignation.
According to AAP spokesperson Raghav Chaddha, Jaitley had been running DDCA like an elite club. In a series of allegations AAP claimed that a budget of 24 Crore was sanctioned to construct a cricket stadium but Rs 114 Crore was spent on it and that Jaitley appointed selectors without any proper criteria due to which only rich kids can play cricket for Delhi and there is no place for the poor.The AAP has demanded:
“Jaitley must resign to ensure fair probe by agencies some of which are under Finance Ministry.”
As a reply to the allegations, Jaitley filed a defamation charges against Delhi CM and his team in DDCA case which if proved could carry a maximum prison sentence of two years and a fine.
What makes situation more difficult for BJP is that its own MP, Kirti Azad has raised the question and along with the opposition’s demand, Shatrughan Sinha affirmed that the Finance Minister should resign until the allegations are cleared. The situation turned bitter after a press conference by Azad where he dragged Arun Jaitley in the DDCA scam and a small speech about the same in Lok Sabha. The BJP central leadership was very angry with Azad as he turned down Shah’s request to not take up the DDCA issue further. The Lok Sabha MP from Darbhanga, Bihar was not issued even a show cause notice or given a chance for explaining his stand.
Following the same path like his colleague, Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha backed Azad in the DDCA row. Sinha said that Jaitley should follow BJP veteran LK Advani’s example and come out clean on the issue politically. He lauded Azad’s effort and said:
“Kirti Azad is hero of the day. Humble appeal to friends to avoid knee jerk reaction, coercive action against friend who’s fighting against corruption.”
Even though AAP and Arvind Kejriwal is alleged of dictatorial politics and useless political drama it has always followed the party principle of zero tolerance towards corruption, be it the case of Jitendra Tomar or the food and civil supplies minister Asim Ahmed Khan, they were sacked on the basis of preliminary investigation against them. Even though the charges are yet to be proved against them but the step by AAP proves its conviction for complete eradication of corruption.
From the whole political drama going around the BJP top brass, a very wrong message goes to the voters who supported BJP in the elections. Even though the allegations against Jaitley are yet to be proved, but the case of Smriti Irani having a fake degree, allegations against Jaitley in DDCA Scam, or Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s involvement in Vyapam admissions Scam proves it is time for BJP to make arrangements for internal vigilance committee lest it gives tough competition to Congress in corruption. For now BJP, however popular, the path it is following would ultimately benefit its nearest rival AAP.
