The Hindu : National : Vajpayee, Advani reneged on RS seat: Khurana

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Wednesday, Jul 20, 2005

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National

Vajpayee, Advani reneged on RS seat: Khurana

Sujay Mehdudia

`Advani had refused to meet RSS chief'

NEW DELHI: Dismissing reports that he had raised the banner of revolt after being denied a Rajya Sabha nomination from Gujarat, former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana on Tuesday claimed that it was party president L.K. Advani and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had promised him the Rajya Sabha seat and then "gone back on their word for some reason."

Speaking to The Hindu on the recent developments within the party and his demand for Mr. Advani's resignation, Mr. Khurana said it was only after consultations with the two senior functionaries of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and some senior BJP leaders and Vishwa Hindu Parishad functionaries that he had sought Mr. Advani's resignation from the post of party president as well as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Mr. Khurana said two months ago Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Advani in the presence of the senior party leader, Venkaiah Naidu, promised to nominate him to the Rajya Sabha from the Gujarat quota.

"However, due to some internal problems, they failed to keep their word and a few days ago Mr. Naidu called me up from London to inform that I could not be nominated from Gujarat and the party would try and accommodate me from Madhya Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh. ''

Jinnah controversy

On the Jinnah controversy,Mr. Khurana said he met Mr. Vajpayee and suggested that a meeting should be called between the RSS chief and Mr. Advani for a heart-to-heart talk on contentious issues so that everything was resolved amicably within the parivar. "Mr. Vajpayee was receptive to the idea and agreed to such a meeting. However, Mr. Advani refused to be part of any such meeting with the RSS."

Interestingly, Mr. Advani went to the RSS headquarters on Sunday accompanied by Mr. Naidu for such a meeting.

"Had he listened to me at that point in time, all this ruckus and embarrassment would have been avoided. When I suggested such a meeting, Mr. Advani just turned it down outright but later went ahead on the advice of some other party men,'' Mr. Khurana said.

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