BJP suspends Kirti Azad: Is Modi going soft on corruption?

On December 23, BJP president Amit Shah suspended party's Lok Sabha MP from Darbhanga in Bihar, Kirti Azad, for opening a front against Union finance minister Arun Jaitley in the alleged Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) scam. By taking action against Azad, the BJP, on the face of it, seems to be sending out a message that it will not bear any personal attack on any of its senior leaders.

However, in the process, it may also be seen as deflecting the heat that Jaitley is facing on the issue of corruption. While the finance minister finds himself cornered over the alleged DDCA scam, former top cop KPS Gill has accused Jaitley of nepotism. He has sent a complaint to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleging that Jaitley got his daughter Sonali Jaitley as the counsel of Hockey India when he was member of the advisory body and had also facilitated the passage of huge amounts as her fee.

BJP may also be accused of not showing such promptness in initiating action against other leaders like Lok Sabha MPs Shatrughan Sinha and RK Sinha, who have been embarrassing the party for quite some time, much before Azad had. Should not have the party taken action simultaneously against Sinha? On December 23 morning, the Bollywood actor called Azad "hero of the day" and spoke against Jaitley. However, he has been spared while Azad finds himself suspended with immediate effect.

KirtiAzad-hero of the day.Humble appeal to friends.Avoid knee jerk reaction/coercive action against friend who's fighting against corruption

— Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) December 23, 2015

Have often quoted Newtons 3rd Law. Feel that untimely action cud boomerang. Sadly-Party with a Difference has become Party with Differences.

— Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) December 23, 2015

As for FM, issue shud be fought politically not legally. As advised by our dashing dynamic PM, our FM cud follow Advanijis eg & come clean

— Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) December 23, 2015

Azad is just an exception. He may cry hoarse for being singled out while the fringe elements, Sangh Parivar members, BJP functionaries, other party MPs or Modi's own ministerial colleagues who were responsible for embarrassing the Centre have been spared so far.

The PM will now be accused by the Opposition of singling out an MP but failing to take action against those Union ministers or chief ministers such as Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who are embroiled in controversies over alleged irregularities.

Instead of taking action against them, Modi came out in strong support for Jaitley in the alleged DDCA scam. Parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu quoted the prime minister on December 22 as having said during the party's parliamentary party meeting that the finance minister will come through "with flying colours" against charges of corruption levelled against him by the Opposition in a same way LK Advani received a clean chit in the Hawala case.

He also said that BJP leaders like Swaraj, Chouhan and Raje had faced similar "wrong" charges from the Congress earlier.

"The Prime Minister gave the example of LK Advani. The government at that time tried to implicate him in the Hawala case. Advani came through with flying colours and the strategy of Congress boomeranged. Same thing is going to happen regarding allegations against Jaitley... Congress is inventing issue to defame the government," Naidu said.

But Modi's support to Jaitley, who has filed a Rs 10-crore defamation suit against Kejriwal and five other Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, is also being interpreted in some quarters as a nudge to the latter to emulate Advani and resign till he is not absolved of all charges. Advani had resigned from Lok Sabha in 1996 after allegations were levelled against him in the Hawala case and was investigated by the CBI under the Congress government headed by PV Narasimha Rao.

Is action against Azad a turning point for the Centre and the BJP ever since Modi and Shah have taken over as heads of the government and the party respectively? Is it a warning to others in the party that Modi and Shah will not tolerate any nonsense any longer?