Jethmalani ready to fight Binakay’s case, BJP steers clear

NEW DELHI - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani Tuesday said he was ready to appear for jailed human rights activist Binayak Sen against the party’s government in Chhattisgarh. The BJP steered clear and said it was a professional matter concerning Jethmalani.

Jethmalani has a profession to himself…If it is about his professional services, we have nothing to say, party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said here.

Answeirng queries, Rudy said party had not given any brief to Jethmalani about not appearing in the case.

(There is) nothing as far as brief to Jethmalani, Rudy said.

Jethmalani said he will have no problem in appearing for Sen in his appeal against the lower court judgment.

He said that if Sen approaches him and he has time, he will certainly appear in court on his behalf.

Jethmalani, a Rajya Sabha MP from BJP, had earlier appeared for Sen in the Supreme Court when he was seeking bail. He argued against the BJP government in Chhattisgarh following which Sen was granted bail.

Sen, 59, was Dec 24 held guilty of sedition by a Chhattisgarh court and sentenced to life term.

The BJP, which is the ruling party in Chhattisgarh where Sen has been convicted by a court, has been maintaining a hard stance against the Maoists. It believes Sen is a Maoist sympathiser.