By IANS,
New Delhi: BJP MP Ram Jethmalani Wednesday disagreed with the party’s core group backing party president Nitin Gadkari over allegations of financial impropriety in his business dealings and said he will continue calling for resignation of people holding important public offices in the course of his fight against corruption.
A defaint Jethmalani said the core group’s decision was a betrayal of people and cautioned that the party was losing moral ground and strength in the fight against corruption.
However, he added that he did not intend to speak about the “Gadkari affair” anymore.
Jethmalani had made a sharp attack against Gadkari Tuesday seeking his resignation. He had also written a letter to party veteran L.K. Advani saying that the demand had support of three other BJP leaders.
BJP’s core committee met last evening and expressed faith in Gadkari’s leadership.
Gadkari had been facing allegations over alleged financial wrongdoings by investor companies in Purti group, controlled by him.
Jethmalani Wednesday said the party’s decision had sapped his vitality.
He rejected the party’s appeal to its leaders and workers not to air views in public which hurt the image of the party.
“The gag order does not apply to me. It applies to senior leaders. I am not a leader of the party much less a senior leader. I do propose, however, not to speak about this Gadkari affair anymore, except that it’s my duty to warn the party that it is losing moral ground and emasculating the party’s strength to fight the war against corruption,” Jethmalani said.
The BJP Rajya Sabha MP wished good luck to Gadkari, Gurumurthy and the members of the core group in a sarcastic tone and said he was prepared to fight against corruption alone.
“In the course of my fight against corruption, which may even turn out to be a lone fight, I will find it necessary to call for resignation of many persons holding important political and public offices,” he said.
Earlier, Jethmalani had said he will not quit the party as he wanted to carry on his fight against corruption.
“I won’t resign from the party, because I want to carry on the fight. Why should I?,” he said.