The Hindu : New Delhi News : Khurana rubbishes reports of revolt

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 20, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Khurana rubbishes reports of revolt

Sujay Mehdudia

`Demand for resignation not linked to RS seat'

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

Talking 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 Central BJP leaders and Vishwa Hindu Parishad functionaries that he had demanded Mr. Advani's resignation from the post of party president as well as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. "The RSS functionaries along with some senior Central leaders of the BJP and the VHP had met me and discussed the matter.

It was only after prolonged discussions and assessment of the situation that I raised this demand. I never made public the letter written to Mr. Advani and it was leaked from the BJP headquarters by some of my adversaries to defame me,'' he added.

Mr. Khurana revealed that it was only two months ago that 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.

Neither Mr. Advani nor Mr. Vajpayee deemed it fit to personally convey this to me and instead asked Mr. Naidu to do the job. I have never sought power positions within the party or the government.

I have always given up posts in my political career. I am a mass based leader having won 11 elections and do not clamour for posts or positions,'' he asserted.

Throwing more light on the entire matter and the Jinnah controversy, Mr. Khurana said after Mr. Advani's return from Pakistan, he had met Mr. Vajpayee and had counselled that a meeting should be called between the RSS chief and Mr. Advani for a heart to heart talk on various contentious issues so that everything was resolved amicably within the parivar. "Mr. Vajpayee was very receptive to the idea and agreed for such a meeting. However, Mr. Advani refused, to be part of any such meeting with the RSS,'' he added.

Mr. Advani did go to the RSS headquarters later 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 avoided.

When I suggested such a meeting, Mr. Advani just turned it down outright but later went ahead on the advice of some other partymen,'' Mr. Khurana said.

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