DDCA row: Shah summons Kirti Azad

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Friday summoned party Member of Parliament Kirti Azad in the wake of his criticism of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in alleged irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

According to reports, Shah asked Azad to maintain restraint, while commenting on the issue as opposition parties are using his remarks politically.

The MP, however, "stuck to his decision of holding a press conference" on the issue on Sunday.

BJP General Secretary Ram Lal had on Thursday also summoned him on the issue.

Former Indian cricketer Azad had on Thursday, however, said he was not gagged by the party and would continue his fight against corruption. "I will keep on fighting corruption. I have done that. I am a sportsperson of this country," Azad told ANI.

"We have to take up this issue. The honourable Supreme Court has taken cognizance of the fact and I have been fighting with many cricketers," he added. He also asserted that nobody could suppress his voice as he was speaking against corruption.

"If you are fighting against corruption, nobody suppresses you. In fact they encourage you. I have not been gagged. Nobody has gagged me. I have been speaking for last nine years about the corruption," he said. He also said that he would hold a press conference on Sunday at 4 p.m., where he would reveal the details.

On a complaint filed by former cricketer Bishen Singh Bedi and other cricketers, the Delhi Government had ordered a probe into the issue.

The Centre backed Jaitley, saying he won't be resigning from his post, and added that there won't be any Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe against him, after the Congress Party alleged financial irregularities in the DDCA during his tenure as president of that sports body.

Addressing the media, AAP leaders Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh collectively stated, "The main objective of CBI raid at Delhi Secretariat and taking control of ACB was to prevent alleged graft in DDCA during Arun Jaitley's tenure coming to light."

They added that the scam included siphoning off money by creating fake companies between 1999 and 2013.