BJP comes to the defence of Nitin Gadkari

Coming to the defence of beleaguered party chief Nitin Gadkari, BJP on Wednesday said party leaders demanding his resignation should abstain from making such statements as court will decide the merit of the charges against him.

"Gadkari has been ready for a trial from day one and the matter is now in court which will decide the merit of the charges against him. The court would conduct the trial not you or me," BJP vice president Kalraj Mishra said when asked to comment on the mounting pressure from within the party on Gadkari to resign in the wake of corruption allegations against him.

"Allegations against Gadkari are of commercial nature whose merit is being examined by the court. So those demanding his resignation from the party should stop doing so," he said when his attention was drawn to senior party leader Yashwant Sinha's statement favouring Gadkari's resignation.

Gadkari came under fresh fire from Sinha yesterday who demanded his immediate resignation from the post, embarrassing BJP at a time when it plans to take on the government on issues including corruption.