Yashwant Sinha quits BJP, says 'he will fight for democracy'

Yashwant Sinha, former Finance Minister and a critique of the PM Narendra Modi government, quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday. The leader said he will end his ties with the BJP and will not join any political party, according to news agency ANI.

In a public function held in Patna, Sinha said, "Today I am taking 'sanyas' from any kind of party politics, today I am ending all ties with the BJP. I will fight for democracy."

Sinha said, "The budget session was so small that it created history as it was the smallest. I say this with full responsibility that the Indian government did not let the house run."

Attacking the government, Sinha said that the democratic institutions are being undermined, cites the press conference called by four senior judges of the Supreme Court. He also hits out at the government for the Election Commission.

He announced the decision a day after lambasting the BJP and the Narendra Modi government. In an opinion piece in The Indian Express, Sinha appealed to the BJP lawmakers to stand-up and question the top leadership.

Sinha was Minister of Finance (1990-1991 under Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and March 1998 - July 2002 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Minister of External Affairs July 2002 - May 2004).

His son Jayant Sinha, a consultant and investor, won the 2014 elections for the Hazaribagh constituency and is currently serving as Minister of State for Civil Aviation in Narendra Modi's cabinet.

More details are awaited.