BJP suspends Jethmalani with IMMEDIATE effect

The BJP on Sunday suspended senior party leader and eminent criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani for anti-party activities with immediate effect.

Jethmalani, who attacked the party for its criticism on the appointment of the new Central Bureau of Investigation director, had challenged the party leadership to take action against him for his stand on the issue.

"If there is any action taken against me, I will welcome it but I don't think anyone has the guts to take any action against me," he had told mediapersons earlier in the day.

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Jethmalani, who embarrassed the BJP earlier by openly demanding Gadkari's resignation, again put the party in discomfiture when he attacked leaders of opposition in Parliament Sushma Sinha and Arun Jaitley for criticising the appointment of new CBI Director Ranjit Sinha and said the government's decision has 'averted national calamity'.

Jethmalani, while demanding party president Nitin Gadkari's resignation, had claimed some other BJP leaders were with him on the demand for Gadkari's exit.

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"I was astonished to read that the BJP has attacked the prime minister and the Congress party for what the party calls the fast-tracked appointment of Sinha as the director of the CBI," he said in a letter addressed to Gadkari, copies of which were marked to the prime minister and the media.

"I regret that this criticism is a result of complete ignorance of relevant facts and has been instigated by a most undesirable rival who had to withdraw his petition before the CAT on Saturday as a result of the appointment," he had said.

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