Kirti Azad to go ahead with presser on 'corruption' in DDCA

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday reached out to its Lok Sabha member Kirti Azad, a known detractor of Arun Jaitley, but an unfazed Azad said he will hold a press conference on Sunday against ‘corruption in the Delhi District Cricket Authority’, an issued used by the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress to target the finance minister.

"My fight is against corruption. I will continue with it," Azad said.

His assertion came after BJP general secretary Ramlal called him earlier in the day for a meeting, apparently to persuade him against attacking Jaitley at a time when the party has rallied around him to fend off the opposition attack on him over alleged corruption in the DDCA.

Rejecting suggestions that the party leadership has 'gagged' him, the Darbhanga MP tweeted, 'Don't go by rumours that I have been gagged. My fight is against corruption in sports and it shall continue'.

Azad said that he will hold a press conference on Sunday to highlight 'corruption' in the DDCA.

Both the AAP and the Congress have demanded Jaitley's resignation with the former stepping up its attack on him following a Central Bureau of Investigation raid on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's principal secretary's office on Tuesday.

Azad has been a long critic of Jaitley's stewardship of the DDCA, alleging financial irregularities during his term.