Air India chief should be sacked immediately: BJP

Amid reports that the government was planning to remove Air India chief Arvind Jadhav, BJP today alleged he was responsible for "financial mismanagement" and demanded he should be sacked "outright" and disciplinary proceedings initiated against him.

Party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy alleged that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was "straight away responsible" for the "manipulated appointment" of Jadhav even after he was not found fit by it previous year "on the basis of lack of domain experience."

"The BJP would like to say here very categorically that removal is not a solution. The gentleman concerned who is responsible for a financial mismanagement of Rs70,000 crores should be sacked outright. He should be suspended and disciplinary proceedings should be instituted against him. That is important," Rudy told reporters.

He was reacting to reports that government was looking for a suitable replacement of Jadhav.

After the Parliamentary Party meeting of the party in Delhi, he also questioned the prime minister on Jadhav's appointment as Air India chief a year after he was not found fit.

"How come the same man the following year become competent and got domain experience?" Rudy asked.

"And this is what we call the manipulated appointment for which straight away the PMO is responsible," he alleged.