Mahesh Jethmalani quits BJP national executive

New Delhi  :  Well known lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani Monday resigned from the national executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying he deemed it morally inappropriate to serve in the party as long as Nitin Gadkari was president.

He, however, clarified that he would continue to serve the party as a member.

Jethmalani said in a letter to Gadkari: “I deem it morally, intellectually inappropriate to serve in BJP as long as you are the president.”

He later told reporters that he was quitting the national executive due to corruption charges agaisnt Gadkari as well as his latest comments comparing the IQ of Dawood Ibrahim and Swami Vivekananda.

“As far as the reasons are concerned, first of all the controversies around Gadkari, I have not got a clear answer. So I have resigned on moral grounds, and secondly because of today’s statement, comparing the IQ level of Vivekananda and Dawood,” he said.

It was his personal opinion, he added, that Gadkari should not get a second term.

“I request the party leadership, resolve it as soon as possible. I am no one to say if he should get second term or not, but my personal view is he should not,” he said.