New Delhi, Dec 7 (PTI) Rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadavtoday said he will challenge his disqualification from theRajya Sabha in court and claimed that his opposition to JD(U)chief Nitish Kumar and the BJP resulted in the ouster.
He suggested that he was denied a fair play, noting thatthe case of embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who "looted"public exchequer, was sent to the Ethics Committee pfParliament but he was not allowed such an opportunity despitebeing a veteran parliamentarian who took up "people's causes"in his career.
At a press conference, Yadav disapproved of Rajya SabhaChairman M Venkaiah Naidu's comments defending his decisionbut said the institution of the Rajya Sabha was too importantto him to attack Naidu.
Even Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani terrorist hanged in Indiafollowing his conviction in the Mumbai terror attack case, wasallowed to exhaust all appeals available to him but in hiscase the "supreme court", an apparent reference to Naidu, gavean order straightaway without referring the matter to aparliamentary committee, he said.
Yadav, who was elected to the Lok Sabha seven times andthe Rajya Sabha four times, said in a lighter vein that his"new freedom" will give him more time in uniting oppositionparties against the BJP.
"I was not shocked that I have been disqualified... I wasexpecting the same outcome," he said, suggesting that it wasdecided in advance.
Noting that he had resigned three times in past as an MPon moral ground, Yadav said had he been interested in power,then he would have been part of the government now.
The constitutional provisions invoked by the Rajya Sabhachairman to disqualify might not apply in his case, he said,noting that he would file an appeal against it in court.
"My fight is for principles and democracy. I will fightit in all forums, including court," he said.
Yadav also accused the BJP of using religion to polarisevoters in the Gujarat and claimed that the party will sufferdefeat like it did in Bihar.
The JD(U) had sought Yadav's disqualification after heattended a RJD rally in Patna in August following hisopposition to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's decision tojettison his party's alliance with the RJD and the Congressand join hands with the BJP.
The disqualification decision came within three months ofthe JD(U) moving a plea, inviting criticism from oppositionleaders.
Naidu, however, said yesterday that justice delayed wasjustice denied, asserting that such matters should be decidedquickly. PTI KRSC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.