The Hindu : New Delhi News : A `do-or-die' battle, says Khurana

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 09, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

A `do-or-die' battle, says Khurana

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, NOV. 8. Declaring that he will not contest any Lok Sabha or Assembly election in future, former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana today asserted that his only interest was to launch a do-or-die battle to resolve the various problems faced by the people of Delhi. The issue of arbitrary closure of industries, regularisation of unauthorised colonies and indifferent attitude of the Government on the new property tax regime would form the focus of his campaign in the initial stage.

Talking to newsmen here, Mr. Khurana -- who was seated along with the former Union Minister, Sahib Singh Verma, and party MLAs from Delhi -- said he had informed the party high command months before the December 2003 Delhi Assembly polls that if the Bharatiya Janata Party lost under his leadership, he would not contest any future elections in Delhi. "The BJP was defeated in the Assembly polls and I stand by that promise not to contest any election in Delhi and instead dedicate my political career for protecting the interests of the city residents and getting their major problems resolved. I am still not a member of BJP but will continue to be inspired by the ideology of that party. I will raise various issues from the party forum without any aiming at getting any seat of power or position for myself," he stated.

Stating that he had resigned as the Rajasthan Governor to be among his own people, Mr. Khurana said the issue of closure of industries, regularisation of unauthorised colonies and the illogical new property tax system prompted him to come back to city politics although with a different motive. Ever since his return to Delhi, Mr. Khurana said he had been flooded with complaints from different sections on various issues and that is the reason he had decided to take up the three priority issues in the first stage. "It is going to be a do or die battle for me in Delhi. I am ready to go to jail on these issues and take up an agitation course in the coming days. The next round of struggle will begin in the post-Diwali phase. Till then I have asked the people affected by these three issues to come up with suggestions and plan of action so that a decisive battle could be launched," he added.

Stating that the failure to file a proper affidavit by the Delhi Government on the issue of industries closure amounted to an act of betrayal, Mr. Khurana said despite orders by the Union Urban Development Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Delhi Government squads were still carrying on with the sealing of industries. The affected people were trying to trace Mr. Maken and want to know where he was at a time when such action was being taken against them.

Similarly, he said the issue of property tax had been complicated by constant tampering with the Act and informed that he would speak out elaborately on this issue in the next few days. As for the regularisation of the unauthorised colonies, Mr. Khurana said he was still awaiting word on the issue from the Union Urban Development Ministry, as the Delhi Government was yet to make its recommendations on the issue to the Ministry. "If the need arises, I will meet the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and seek his intervention on these issues," he added.

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