The BJP asked why the public should pay for Kejriwal's "karma" (deeds)?
"Defamation cases are personal cases against Kejriwal, not against the Chief Minister of Delhi. Hence, Kejriwal should fight these cases with personal money, not public money," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said here.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in 2015 had filed a defamation suit against Kejriwal ,who alleged irregularities in Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) during the chairmanship of Jaitley.
"Kejriwal is habitual of defaming people. It is his 'karma'. Why should public pay for his 'karma'?" Javadekar asked.
"Today he his paying the lawyer's fee from public exchequer. Tomorrow if the court convicts him, will he pay all the liability from the public exchequer?" he asked.
"And there are seven defamation cases against him as far as I know. This may total up to (Rs.) 100 crore. Will he make the people of Delhi pay those 100 crore?" the BJP leader asked.
Calling this a "dacoity" on public money, Javadekar said Kejriwal's action were "illegal and immoral" and would not be accepted.
The BJP's attack came in the wake of a TV channel report saying that Kejriwal's lawyer Ram Jethmalani sent him a bill of around Rs 3.4 crore for appearing in the court in a defamation suit filed by Jaitley.
DDCA took to Twitter to announce the same: "Kotla to be renamed as Arun Jaitley Stadium. The renaming of Delhi's famous cricket venue as Arun Jaitley Stadium will take place on September 12 at a function where a Stand of the ground will be named after India captain Virat Kohli."
Later in the day, DDCA president clarified that the stadium has been named as Arun Jaitley Stadium, however the ground will continue to be called the Feroz Shah Kotla.
Earlier, in a letter to the Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal, BJP MP and former India opener Gautam Gambhir had on Monday said the Yamuna Sports Complex should be renamed after Jaitley for his contribution to nation building and for his love for cricket.
"May he remain in our hearts forever. As a mark of respect to our beloved leader, I hereby propose to rename 'Yamuna Sports Complex' as 'Arun Jaitley Sports Complex," Gambhir had said in a tweet, while posting a copy of his letter to the Lt. Governor.
Former Union Minister Jaitley passed away on August 24 after prolonged illness. BCCI administrators as well as cricketers took to social media to condole the demise. In fact, the Indian team had also worn black armbands as a mark of respect for Jaitley during the third day's play of the first Test between India and West Indies.