Shettigar guns for Gadkari, Uma defends chief

Days after BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Jethmalani demanded that party president Nitin Gadkari quit in the wake of charges pertaining to financial irregularities, it was the turn of national executive member Jagdish Shettigar to remind his embattled chief that the role of a "swayamsevak" required him to put the nation's interests before his own.

Days after BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Jethmalani demanded that party president Nitin Gadkari quit in the wake of charges pertaining to financial irregularities, it was the turn of national executive member Jagdish Shettigar to remind his embattled chief that the role of a "swayamsevak" required him to put the nation's interests before his own.

"Being a swayamsevak, he knows that national interest comes first, the party second and self last. In our system, it takes years to prove someone innocent or guilty, but the party does not have the luxury of waiting for the resolution of the issue…" he said.

Quoting an example, he said that when Advani's name was linked to the hawala scam in the 1990s, he resigned from Parliament and did not enter it until his name was cleared.

However, BJP leader Uma Bharti came out in support of Gadkari, saying that Jethmalani and his son, Mahesh, had no relevance in the decision-making process of the party.

"...Ram and Mahesh Jethmalani have become guardians of morality. But they cannot even enter the place where decisions are taken," she said.

Ironically, Shettigar has reminded the party president of how a "swayamsevak" should behave at a time when the RSS itself has gone out of its way to defend Gadkari.