The Hindu : National : We are still good friends: Vajpayee

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Monday, Sep 12, 2005

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National

We are still good friends: Vajpayee

LUCKNOW: Days after publicly questioning Bharatiya Janata Party chief L.K. Advani's expulsion of senior party leader Madan Lal Khurana, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said here on Sunday there were no differences between them and the two were still good friends.

``This friendship is not of today...Our association is 40 to 50 years old. Advaniji is a friend, associate as well as my party president.... We all work together for strengthening the BJP organisation,'' Mr. Vajpayee said at a party workers' meeting in his parliamentary constituency here.

``There have been speculative media reports that we have some kind of differences. I do not know from where people come up with such conjectures...Both of us have been working together for so long and will continue to do so,'' he said.

Mr. Vajpayee spoke of political opponents' attempt to derive advantage from certain sensitive situations but said ``these elements should not be given any chance to weaken us.''

He said: ``We will do whatever is required for the sake of the party.''

Senior party leaders, including former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers Rajnath Singh and Kalyan Singh; Uttar Pradesh BJP president Kesri Nath Tripathi, and the Leader of the Opposition in the U.P. Assembly, Lalji Tandon, were also present on the occasion.

Mr. Vajpayee later met Japanese encephalitis patients at the King George's Medical University here.

UNI, PTI

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