Jethmalani slams Gadkari for taking BJP 'on path of suicide'

BJP MP and lawyer Ram Jethmalani, who has been sent a show cause notice by the party leaders for his statements against party president Nitin Gadkari and other party leaders, said that he was too busy to reply to the notice and had written a letter seeking more time than the allocated ten days. Jethmalani today said he had learnt of the show cause notice being issued against him by the party through the media and he had not received it yet. “I have not received the notice from the BJP yet. Without reading it I cannot say what my response will be….If there is something worthwhile in the notice then I will reply, else I will tear it up and throw it,” Jethmalani told reporters today. [caption id=“attachment_537151” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Will he be kicked out of the BJP? Reuters[/caption] The lawyer said that he was a busy man and he had written a letter to Gadkari saying that he would not be able to reply to the show cause notice in ten days, which was the time period specified as per media reports. “There is no dictator’s rule which says I have to reply to a show cause notice in ten days. I am a busy man,” Jethmalani said. “I have written to Nitin Gadkari saying that I am busy, if you want to be fair then give me time till December end,” he said. In his letter the lawyer questioned his suspension by the party Parliamentary Board. “Your order of suspension is ultravires and usurpation of the power of the Parliamentary Board. Besides no situation had arisen in which you should have proceeded without speaking to me and complying with ordinary decencies of a quasi-judicial office which you hold,” the suspended party MP said. He maintained that he was “totally indifferent” to the step taken by Gadkari as his standing in the legal profession and in politics as well as the affection and respect that he enjoys from sections of the people of India does not depend on his membership of Parliament. Making a scathing comment, Jethmalani said in his letter, “I am convinced that you are firmly set on the path of suicide and you are determined to drag the whole party with you. ‘Vinash kal Vipreet Buddhi (when one is set to be doomed he loses his mind)’ is an old maxim.” He also said he suspects Gadkari is prejudiced against him and hence took this action of suspending him. Jethmalani had earlier questioned the propriety of Gadkari staying on as party president despite allegations of conflict of interest in managing the Purti group. He also questioned the BJP’s stand to oppose the appointment of the new CBI director, saying that the Congress party for a change had done a fair thing in the appointment. “For a change the PM did a good thing in the appointment of the CBI director. It was a rare task done properly by the Congress,” he said. “Opposition doesn’t mean opposing for the sake of it,” he said. The senior advocate also said that the BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley  had caused “irretrievable” damage to the party by not listening to his advice regarding the party chief and the image of the party had fallen in the eyes of the common man. with inputs from PTI