If you want to do PhD in corruption, go to DDCA: Kirti Azad
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Kochi: Suspended BJP MP Kirti Azad on Sunday said he will continue to fight against alleged corruption in DDCA and that nobody can deter him from this campaign, a day after the cricket body filed defamation suits against him and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Unfazed by BJP's disciplinary action against him, Azad also continued his attack against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) corruption issue. Reiterating his corruption charges against the cricket body, Azad accused it of "cost escalation without proof" in renovating Delhi's Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in 2008. Azad also said he has sought time from Prime MinisterNarendra Modi to explain the case to him.
He was speaking at a meet-the-press programme organised by the Ernakulam Press Club here. Responding to the defamation suit filed against him by DDCA, Azad said he was 'grateful' to all those who filed a case against him and warned "there will be more (evidences against corruption) coming out one after the other". "If you want to do PhD in corruption, go to DDCA, you will get your degree in one month," Azad said.
Azad said he would honour whatever decision BJP takes in his case.
"But nobody can deter me. I am the son of a freedom fighter. Nobody can deter me from fighting against corruption. I shall do that till the last drop of my blood or breath.It is for the future of our children and we should be together fighting for the good cause," he said. He alleged that politicians of both NDA and UPA are together when it comes to corruption in BCCI.
"All of them, whether it is from my party or from the other party...ruling or opposition, they were all together... united in corruption. So you have a UPA and NDA...in BCCI you have a United Alliance--UA," Azad said. He also expressed doubts about fairness in a CBI probe into alleged corruption in DDCA. "Rs 141 crore spent on the stadium and still counting.
Except the initial Rs 25 crore approval by the executive committee for allowing contract to EPIL, no proof of cost escalation is available on record. If it all they had changed the building plan, it should have been approved. If this is not corruption, what is it?," Azad said. He alleged that no further approvals of any cost escalations were written in the minutes of the DDCA executive committee meeting.
"Subsequently, in December, 2012, the executive committee seems to have ratified all expenditure relating to the stadium," the cricketer-turned politician said. DDCA had yesterday filed defamation suits in Delhi High Court against Kejriwal and Azad for allegedly making defamatory remarks against it on its functioning and finances.
