Scathing. If this does not singe, nothing will.
End of the day, it's a pity. CM @ArvindKejriwal could have focused on Delhi, built a New Politics. Populist activism got the better of him.
Absolutely. And all who believe in decency would stand by @arunjaitley
Belligerence may thrill the LCD, but it won't help you in court. Grow up, stop spoiling for a fight you won't win.
Kartikeya Tanna An in-house Commission of Inquiry led by a man who was opposed by Modi government for judgeship. Totally neutral.
- Rubbish. @arunjaitley would never touch tainted money. Everyone who knows him knows his integrity is unimpeachable.
- I've known AJ for 25 years. He has a large heart. But if pushed beyond a point, he is remorseless.
- Tough choice. Be present in court to watch Kejriwal defend his charges in shrill adolescent voice or Ashu defend himself in English. Vote?
- For starters Kejriwal will have to prove his defamatory charges in two courts of law. He should worry. Seriously.
Jaitley fights AAP and his own- Court battle against Kejri, silence on Kirti |
| Radhika Ramaseshan |
 Arun Jaitley arrives at the Patiala House court to file a defamation suit against Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders on Monday. Picture by Yasir Iqbal  Jaitley personally turned up at the Patiala House court to file the criminal case, followed by supporters and television cameras, seeking prosecution of the accused for offences that carry up to a two-year jail term. His lawyer moved the civil suit at Delhi High Court, seeking Rs 10 crore in damages. Veteran lawyer Ram Jethmalani will represent Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party colleagues Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha and Deepak Bajpai, sources said. Hearing of the criminal case starts on January 5. Jethmalani has had several run-ins with Jaitley before and after being suspended from the BJP in 2013. "By filing defamation case, Jaitley is trying to hurt himself. He is caught in his own web," Kejriwal tweeted. BJP sources said Jaitley had made the personal appearance to "underline" that his intention was "serious". "Sheila Dikshit (former Congress chief minister) was reviled endlessly by Kejriwal and his colleagues. She erred by not taking them to the cleaners. We won't make that mistake," a source close to Jaitley said. Pawan Khera, Dikshit's political secretary, had filed a defamation suit against Kejriwal that is still going on. In May 2014, Kejriwal had spent six days in jail after refusing bail in a defamation case moved by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari. Jaitley, though, appears to face a challenge not just from Kejriwal but also from within the BJP. Party MP Kirti Azad, the original accuser against Jaitley whose charges were later taken up by Kejriwal, today had his full say in the Lok Sabha, egged on by the Congress and uninterrupted by the treasury benches. He demanded a CBI probe, monitored by a special investigation team. He did not name Jaitley, who was present in the House, but reminded members: "And we know who was heading the DDCA (cricket body) between 2008 and 2013." It was Jaitley. Kirti later denied charges of acting at the Congress's behest, tweeting: "#outrageous, I took instructions from Cong-I President? We have been fighting since 9 years." The BJP has not yet signalled any intention to punish Kirti. "The issue (Kirti's role) is too complex to warrant straight action," a general secretary close to party president Amit Shah explained. Kirti told NDTV this evening: "Why would the BJP take action against me? I have spoken about corruption, not against the party or the government." He called Jaitley his "leader" and warned the anchor not to "create divisions between us". But in a tweet, Kirti dared Jaitley to sue him. "Hello dear @arunjaitley ham par defamation file kar rahe ho na? Please karo na (Aren't you filing a defamation suit against me? Please do). Don't take injunction, don't gag freedom of speech," the MP posted. A senior minister said: "All of us are uncomfortable with what's happening. We had thought the fault lines in our party had vanished after the general election...." The Delhi BJP, though, mobilised a large crowd outside the Patiala House court in Jaitley's support with the city's MPs in attendance. Six Union ministers - M. Venkaiah Naidu, J.P. Nadda, Smriti Irani, Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal and Rajyavardhan Rathore - too turned up at the court, but separately. Late evening, Shah tried to allay the worries of Jaitley's well-wishers, saying the charges against him were "baseless" and alleging a "conspiracy". He said the party was "united" behind Jaitley. But his first - and belated, some BJP sources felt - defence of Jaitley avoided any allusion to Kirti. BJP sources cited three reasons for this: • The case relates to a position Jaitley held before he became minister. "It has nothing to do with the BJP or the Narendra Modi government. Why should Shah and Modi put themselves on the line by taking sides?" a source asked. • Another source explained why the Prime Minister had defended Rajnath Singh when news reports claimed Modi had questioned the conduct of the home minister's son: "That speculation directly concerned the PM; he had to clarify his stand." Similarly, he said, Shah had batted for Sushma Swaraj in the Lalit Modi controversy because it concerned her duties as minister. • Kirti's claims about following Modi's anti-corruption crusade meant "any action against him will send a bad message". http://www.telegraphindia.com/1151222/jsp/frontpage/story_59777.jsp#.VnisxFR94gA |