Yashwant Sinha

Hazaribagh, June 15: Jailed BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has refused to budge from his demand of “unconditional” release, even as the party high command is sending veteran leader L.K. Advani to persuade the former MP to secure bail.

Source said the former deputy prime minister was likely to arrive in Hazaribagh on Tuesday to meet Sinha, who has been lodged at Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan Central Jail since June 3, though he had rejected similar suggestions from BJP national president Rajnath Singh earlier.

Last Thursday, BJP national general secretary Rajiv Pratap Ruddy and party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain called on Sinha with Rajnath’s message that he give up his agitation and come out of jail. However, Sinha has remained adamant.

Sinha was arrested along with over 50 BJP workers for allegedly manhandling Jharkhand Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (JUVNL) general manager Dhanesh Jha on June 2 in Hazaribagh during an agitation against erratic power cuts. Later, he was sent to 14-day judicial custody at the central jail. The judicial custody will end tomorrow.

“We have our lawyers who are following the case. Let’s see what happens tomorrow,” Sinha’s son and Hazaribagh MP Jayant Sinha said when asked if his father would follow the party’s wishes.

Secretary of the Hazaribagh Bar Association and senior lawyer Rajkumar Raju said the police had 60 days to complete investigations and file a chargesheet. But Sinha was free to file for bail anytime. “The case includes Section 353 of the IPC (preventing government officials from discharging his duty), among others. This is a serious section that attracts maximum punishment of two years,” he added.

However, senior BJP leader Bansi Rukariar said, “Sinha is not willing to come out on bail.”

Echoing Rukariar, Jayant said whether his father was staying in jail or not didn’t matter. What was important was his fight for the cause of the people. “The party has been supporting his stand and thus senior leaders like Ruddy, Hussain, Shatrughan Sinha came to meet him,” the Hazaribagh MP said.

He said he would take part in a daylong dharna at the collectorate tomorrow. “The problem highlighted by him has become a state issue and people are coming out on the streets in his support,” he added.