The BJP on Friday appeared divided with some leaders demanding resignation of union ministers Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel over the IPL issue while the party restrained itself saying "clinching evidence" is required before seeking any minister's ouster.
Former union minister Yashwant Sinha demanded that Pawar and Patel should step down. Pawar's son-in-law and Patel's daughter are alleged beneficiaries of IPL.
On being repeatedly asked if BJP felt Pawar and Patel should resign, party deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha S S Ahluwalia did not take their names and said "we need clinching evidence" before demanding resignation of any minister.
Ahluwalia insisted that allegations against Pawar and Patel were different from those levelled against former union minister Shashi Tharoor, saying his involvement as Minister of State for External Affairs in IPL was "crystal clear".
He argued that in Tharoor's case revelations were made through Twitter and BJP had got documents to prove his involvement.
Yesterday, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar had strongly attacked Patel for concentrating more on IPL's state of affairs than on Indian Airlines and Air India.
However, there was no demand for Pawar or Patel's scalp from the BJP party platform.
'The whole opposition in both Houses of Parliament has demanded that the way in which IPL case is being unveiled everyday, a JPC should be formed to probe the issue," Ahluwalia said.
He maintained that "ethics and principles" of cricket should be kept intact and since IPL was a part of BCCI the latter should decide how it should be run.
"This is also a matter of ministerial accountability. Every minister is accountable to Parliament. The names of some ministers are being taken. We do not know how many more names will surface. We need a probe to know the facts," Ahluwalia said.
"We are not sitting idle. We are analysing the situation. We have demanded that a JPC be formed. If there is a prima facie case against the ministers we will demand their resignation," Ahluwalia said.
Interestingly, when the Rajya Sabha MP was asked if he agreed with Sinha's demand that the two ministers should resign, he said, "Whatever he (Sinha) said I am endorsing it. He is a senior leader and we are not against what he stated."
When pressed further if BJP was formally seeking the resignation of Pawar and Patel, he evaded a reply.
Significantly, BJP had fought shy of demanding a JPC probe into IPL when other opposition parties in both Houses of Parliament were asking for it earlier this week.
When asked why, Ahluwalia said BJP could not take a stand on JPC earlier as there was no floor co-ordination with other parties. PTI
