Hundred times you asked me to teach this crook a lesson: Full text of Ram Jethmalani’s letter to Arvind Kejriwal

After quitting as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s counsel in the defamation case against Arun Jaitley, senior advocate Ram Jethmalani in an explosive letter has revealed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief ‘used worse abuses’ than ‘crook’ for the Union Finance Minister. Firing a fresh salvo at his former client, the senior counsel alleged that the Delhi Chief Minister had instructed him to use derogatory words against Jaitley.

‘When Arun Jaitley filed the first suit and criminal case, you naturally sought my services. Ask your (Kejriwal) conscience how many times you used worse abuses than a mere ‘crook’. You have hundred times asked me to teach this crook a lesson,’ the lawyer said in a letter that he wrote to Kejriwal on July 20, a copy of which was uploaded on his blog. On July 26th, Jethmalani announced that he has quit as the counsel of Arvind Kejriwal in the civil defamation suits filed by Jaitley, and accused the Delhi Chief Minister of blatantly lying to him. Speaking to ANI, Jethmalani said, "The reason behind it is he (Kejriwal) has spoken a lie. He has gone and said that I have not given any instructions, but fact is he did and I have them recorded. I'm not disappointed at all; I did all that I could do. If he does not pay me I don't mind, because I have fought for many for free. It does not make a difference if I lose one".

Earlier on July 22, amidst an ongoing tense round of cross-questioning between Jaitley and Jethmalani, the former was perturbed after being referred to as a 'crook' by the 93-year-old veteran lawyer, in his defamation case against Kejriwal. Baffled by the 'abuse' hurled at him, Jaitley demanded a clarification from the senior counsel whether this was the result of a personal tiff, to which Jethmalani clarified that the term was used under the instructions of Kejriwal. Jaitley also alleged that he was asked scandalous questions and attempts were made to delay the proceedings in the Rs 10 crore civil defamation suit, which he had filed against Kejriwal and five Aam Aadmi Party leaders in 2015 in DDCA matter.

Read the full text below: ​

Dear Mr Kejriwal,

You have been in touch with me long before the earlier suit for damages filed against you and some others. You have been meeting me about politicians and politics of India. I have been associated with Modiji our Prime Minister when he asked me to join BJP in 2010.

He was deeply interested in my proceedings about Black Money in the Supreme Court from early 2009. A task force headed by expert economist Prof. R. Vaidyanathan had been appointed by ex- deputy Prime Minister L.K Advani which had estimated this stolen national wealth to be about 90 Lac crores in Indian Currency.

They had made an interim report in which the party inter alia had been advised to send a demand to the German Government which had by bribing an employee of the Liechtenstein

Bank just in the vicinity of Switzerland obtained a list of 1400 names of money laundering crooks the majority of whom were reported to be Indians. The German Government had agreed to share the names with India and other countries too in particular the U.S.A.

Mr Jaitley had not availed of this German offer and done nothing to secure names of the culprit. I had shared with you the relevant facts and at least you and I and certainly Modiji were determined to recover this money.

It was made a prominent part Modiji, election manifesto and of course this was also inserted in the Party manifesto. I have no doubt that Modiji and BJP won the elections with a spectacular majority by reason of this interest in stolen wealth and putting 15 Lacs in the pocket of every poor man. However soon Amit Shah the BJP President publicly admitted that all talk of recovery of Black money was an election gimmick.

This statement was never repudiated by Jaitley. I am not getting in to more details about the total evidence that BJP had perpetrated a huge fraud on the nation. Of course, this would be evidence of lack of character and loyalty to national duty. You have more than once assured me that you will one day deal with this great national betrayal. I had also shown you a copy of my notice served on Chidambaram and Jaitley. I am a little restrained in my public speeches and do not relish avoidable fights with any one. 

When Arun Jaitley filed the suit and the criminal case, you naturally sought my services. Ask your conscience how ma, times you used worse abuses than a mere crook, You have hundred times asked me to teach this crook a lesson. Incidentally for the last couple of weeks you only met me briefly. However, your assistant Raghav Chadha and Advocate Mr. Anupam Srivastava have been briefing me in the matter. Of course, the law is settled that no suit for damages lies against parties and lawyers even if the suggestion made only in court judicial proceedings proves to be false or malicious. 

But please do not misunderstand I am not advising you to continue the fight. If you think Jaitley will withdraw the suit on seeing this letter to me do by any means settle with him. I will take the consequences. 

Let me however tell you that Raghav Chadha and Anupam Srivastava both saw me at the last conference and pointed out two more facts to me: 

1. That Jaitley had formed one more organisation Hockey India and he has got a remuneration of 3 crores for his daughter who is doing some professional work for it. 2. That Jaitley had himself approached the Government for giving the cricket stadium in 

the name of respected Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and bear the cost of the construction and he later changed his mind to make money by selling the corporate boxes and he has earned 57 crores of illicit money. This happened only 4 days ago. 

One thing is certain I will not now appear in any matter for your defence, only pay the settled fees for the 1^st matter and nothing for the second. 

Yours Sincerely 

Ram Jethmalani 

Source: Ram Jethmalani's blog