Azad had alleged irregularities in the working of the Delhi and District Cricket Association during Arun Jaitley’s tenure as its president. In a press conference on Sunday, the Darbhanga MP accused Jaitley, now the Finance Minister, of turning a blind eye to the corruption under his reign.
Azad had also joined opposition MPs on Monday in raising the issue in Parliament. On Wednesday, the party asked him to explain his “anti-party conduct”, adding that further action will depend on his reply.
“If the BJP suspends me, it’s the party’s misfortune,” Kirti Azad told the media after his suspension, adding that he had been raising the issue of corruption in DDCA for nine years.
Earlier in the day, Azad took to Twitter to air his views.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had targeted Jaitley after claiming that his office was raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation because of the DDCA issue, spoke out on Twitter against Azad’s suspension. His views were echoed by Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh and Randeep Surjewala.
Digvijaya Singh mentioned Shatrughan Sinha after the BJP leader and actor sent out a series of tweets earlier in the day, hailing Azad as the “hero of the day”.
On social media, many saw the funny side of the events, with mentions of Azad’s days in cricket attire figuring prominently.