Jethmalani says won’t charge to be Kejri’s counsel, BJP hits out at CM
Noted advocate Ram Jethmalani on Tuesday said that he will defend Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the defamation case slapped on him by finance minister Arun Jaitley for free if the Delhi chief minister cannot afford to pay him.
Though Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia defended the government’s decision, Jethmalani said he charges only the rich and would now treat Kejriwal as “one of his poor clients and appear for him free”.
“I will certainly defend him even if he can’t pay, but he said ‘no, I want to pay, send us the bills, so I have sent the bills. Even if the government does not support him, I will,” Jethmalani said.
The comment came amid a raging controversy over the Aam Aadmi Party government’s move to pay a hefty sum to lawyer Ram Jethmalani for representing Kejriwal in court in a defamation case filed against him by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley.
The bills raised by Jethmalani on December 1, 2016, reportedly quote ₹1 crore retainership for representing Kejriwal and an additional ₹22 lakh per appearance. Jethmalani has made 11 appearances so far, leading to a total of ₹3.42 crore.
In December, Sisodia asked the general administration department of the Delhi government for the Jethmalani’s fee. However, the Delhi government’s law department said the bills could not be cleared without the nod of the lieutenant governor. The decision is now pending approval from L-G Anil Baijal.
Defending the state government’s decision, Sisodia said the government should be bearing the cost as the defamation case is related to the ‘inquiry initiated by the state government against the corruption in Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA)”.
Sisodia questioned the timing of raising the issue saying “it was aimed at diverting attention from the controversy surrounding EVM tampering”.
“The government had initiated inquiry against corruption in DDCA. People, who are involved in it, have filed the (defamation) case. Why should (Delhi chief minister) Arvind Kejriwal pay the bills in personal capacity?” said Sisodia, even as he refused to take any questions on the issue.
Reacting to the developments, Union human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar said government’s move to use public money to pay the legal fee in a personal case is a “kind of dacoity, corruption” and the BJP will not allow such “loot”.
“Jethmalani sent the bill. Otherwise, this debate wouldn’t have started. This (AAP government’s move) is completely immoral, illegal. A personal case has to be fought with personal money, not with public money. This is the real character of this party (AAP),” said Javadekar.
“I can’t recall any other chief minister who has ever burdened the exchequer to save himself or promote himself,” added minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju.
Speaking at a public meeting in Seemapuri on Tuesday, Kejriwal said it’s for the people of Delhi to decide who should pay the fee to Jethmalani.
“There was corruption in DDCA. Children used to approach me with complaints of graft in player selection. But BJP leaders filed a case against me. Why should I pay Jethmalani’s fee from my pockets? Let the people decide who should pay, government or Kejriwal,” he said.