Subramanian Swamy to help me draft reply: Kirti Azad

Suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirti Azad on Thursday said he will respond to the suspension notice today with the help of party leader Subramanian Swamy, a day after he was suspended for making public statements that there was corruption in the DDCA when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was heading it.

"Have received notice, will respond to it. Subramanian Swamy has told me that he will help me in drafting reply to the notice," Azad told the media here.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has confirmed to ANI that he would assist Azad in replying to the notice.

"I confirm this that I will assist Kirti Azad on the draft notice from party. I know him since when he was a boy, I was a good friend of his father. Further I will say he is still member of BJP. I have every right to assist him. I don't think party should lose such a honest person like him," swamy told ANI.

Azad also questioned the BJP to explain specific charges of anti-parties activities and said that he has not joined hands with the Opposition.

"I want to know specifically the charges which are levelled against me. I want to know what are the anti-parties activities that I have done in the last few months. This is a matter of serious corruption and I have fought against it for the last nine months. I have not joined hands with AAP or Congress," he said.

Azad further requested Prime Minister Modi to look into the issue and ensure him justice.

"I have great respect for Modi ji and full faith in him. I hope the Prime Minister will listen to my plea and do justice. I would also ask the 'Marg Darshak Mandal' to come forward and look into this issue.I would want Modi ji to look into this and tell me what my fault is, I want specific answers. I want to know if I have been suspended because I raised voice against corruption in DDCA," Azad said.

"If saying the truth is a crime, then I will keep committing this crime," he asserted.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had earlier today said that Prime Minister Modi who believes discouraging corruption, should answer on Kirti Azad's suspension.

The BJP had yesterday suspended its Darbhanga MP Kirti Azad.

The party issued a terse letter in the evening stating, "For anti-party activities, Shri Kirti Azad, MP, Darbhanga, is with immediate effect suspended from the party."

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday said the suspension of Kirti Azad is another bid by the ruling dispensation at the centre to protect Arun Jaitley for his role in the alleged corruptions in the Delhi and District Cricket Administration (DDCA).

Meanwhile, Jaitley has filed criminal defamation case and also filed civil defamation suit in Delhi High Court of Rs 10 crores against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders, amid a raging row over irregularities in the DDCA and allegations of corruptions against him by the Delhi Government.

The Patiala House court has set January 5, 2016 at 2 p.m. as the next date of hearing for the criminal defamation case filed by Jaitley.

Noted criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani will represent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the defamation lawsuits filed by the Finance Minister.