BJP dare not punish Kirti Azad. Shatrughan Sinha, RK Singh in queue
The sword of Damocles is hanging over BJP MP from Darbhanga, Kirti Azad, ever since he addressed the media over the alleged financial irregularities in Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) on December 20. Azad has indulged in more than one questionable deed against the BJP and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley to invite some kind of disciplinary action against self. However, the BJP leadership would be seen as being partisan if it takes any action against him.
Though the cricketer-turned-politician did not name Jaitley even once during his address, it was amply clear that he was targeting his senior colleague. He restricted his so-called expose to the period which coincided with the tenure of Jaitley as DDCA chief. Next day, he argued with Jaitley in Parliament and has been since out of bounds on the social media, naming the senior minister, provoking him and even calling him "napunsak" (impotent) before saying that his account had been hacked. Later, he deleted the tweet in which he had made the "napunsak" allegation.
' hello dear @arunjaitley hampar defemation file kar rahe ho na? Please karo na Don't take injunction, don't gag freedom of speech.
— Kirti Azad (@KirtiAzadMP) December 20, 2015' Mera naam kyon hata diya @arunjaitley #Aap ne toh mere letters dikhae theey, mujhpar karo na case, registered post se maine bheje theey
— Kirti Azad (@KirtiAzadMP) December 20, 2015' I was visited at home by so many agencies to take precaution against threat to my life. Dear @arunjaitley darta nahin hoon napunsako se
— Kirti Azad (@KirtiAzadMP) December 21, 2015My A/C is hacked statement on @arunjaitley as napunsak is not my tweet
— Kirti Azad (@KirtiAzadMP) December 21, 2015Even Jaitley talked about Azad's culpability when he said, though without naming him, that the Darbhanga MP had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi during the UPA regime following which the Centre referred the DDCA matter to Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). However, it is another matter that the SFIO, in its report, never mentioned Jaitley or his involvement. But Azad continued with his tirade against the minister.
Though the MP had been raising the DDCA affair for several years now, he had refrained from naming Jaitley in public. But his tweets on December 21 mark a shift in his approach towards the finance minister. And they will form a strong basis on which the BJP may initiate disciplinary action, whenever it does so, against him.
But the BJP would be unfair to Azad if it takes action against him. The party will have to initiate disciplinary proceedings against at least two other MPs - actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha and former bureaucrat RK Singh - before taking a call on Azad.
(Coincidentally, all the three MPs who are giving some trying times to the BJP are Lok Sabha members from Bihar.)
Sinha has been no less dissenting in his words and actions than Azad. He has been openly critical of the party leadership over several issues - particularly the Bihar Assembly elections of late. While Azad's meeting with Sonia largely remained a secret till Jaitley revealed it, Sinha has been embarrassing the BJP leadership by openly meeting its detractors like Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. He has also been speaking against the party leadership and praising Kumar and Kejriwal.
Singh has been airing views against the party's official stand, for instance on ticket distribution during Bihar polls or party's defeat in the polls. He has even been reprimanded by the leadership but to no avail.
In view of these circumstances, the BJP's hands are tied over acting against Azad as Sinha and Singh come first in queue. Already braving rough weather on several fronts, the party cannot afford to take action against all the three MPs simultaneously. An unenviable position for the ruling party indeed.