Shatrughan calls Kirti Azad ‘hero’, asks Jaitley to follow in Advani’s footsteps

New Delhi: BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha on Wednesday described as a "hero" party MP Kirti Azad, who has taken on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over alleged corruption in Delhi's cricket board.

Calling Kirti Azad the "hero of the day," the outspoken actor-turned-politician, who had rubbed the Bharatiya Janata Party the wrong way during the Bihar assembly elections too, urged the party not to take action against the former cricketer for alleging corruption in the DDCA when Jaitley headed it.

Sinha had a piece of advice for Jaitley, who headed the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) for 13 years till 2013.

Veteran BJP leader L K Advani had declined to contest elections when he was accused of involvement in the hawala scandal in the 1990s.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that Jaitley would come out of the DDCA row with flying colours — a la Advani.

Sinha's support for Azad came a day after senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi demanded disciplinary action against Azad for targeting Jaitley over the DDCA issue.

Cricketer-turned-politician Azad is a BJP MP from Darbhanga in Bihar and the son of former Bihar chief minister Bhagwat Jha Azad. Sinha is the BJP MP from Patna Saheb in Bihar.

This came as Former Punjab police chief KPS Gill on Wednesday wrote a letter to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal complaining against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's role in the functioning of Hockey India.

In the letter, Gill alleged that Jaitley got his daughter Sonali Jaitley appointed as the counsel of Hockey India when he was member advisory body.

"Shree Arun Jaitley being the advisor of Hockey India League having no Hockey connection whatsoever have got his daughter appointed on the Legal Committee of Hockey India League and reportedly paid huge sums. Shree Arun Jaitley being a very senior minister in the Government should either resign as a Minister or from the Advisory Board of the Hockey India League," the former top cop wrote in his letter.

Gill added: "Your prompt and immediate action in this matter of financial irregularities and functioning of Hockey India needs to be taken up on top priority for the further promotion and development of sports in India and Hockey in particular."

(With inputs from agencies)