MUMBAI : For the first time since the expulsion of 11 MPs following the cash-for-questions scandal, the Bharatiya Janata Party here on Thursday "unreservedly" expressed "regret" over the involvement of some of its representatives, with party leader Sushma Swaraj adding that the matter "made the BJP hang its head in shame."

But having said that, even while defending the party stand that disciplinary procedures in Parliament had been "short-circuited," Ms. Swaraj launched a direct attack on the Congress and its president Sonia Gandhi on the issue of corruption and fall in the standards of probity in public life.

Moving a political resolution at the party's National Council, she faulted Ms. Gandhi for daring to warn her own party workers against "Bhajpaisation of the Congress," saying that even if the Congress tried hard it would never be able to adopt the BJP's lofty ideals.

It would have to get rid of "family rule" and it could never hope to end corruption.She told delegates that party workers should be like the soldiers of Shivaji's army who never stopped, never bent, never sold their principles, and never tired.

State must explain

At the very outset party president L.K. Advani condemned Wednesday's Bangalore terrorist incident and that was later incorporated in the resolution through an amendment moved by senior leader Jaswant Singh. He alleged that the Government had prior information on a possible attack, and charged that the Centre was "directly responsible" and the "State Government must be asked to explain."

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Kalyan Singh, who seconded the resolution made a veiled attack on the incumbent party president Rajnath Singh when he said "while the people are being asked to raise their hands in favour of decriminalisation of politics during the `nyaya (justice) yatra' [launched by Rajnath Singh] the BJP leaders themselves should raise their hands against tickets for criminals." The reference was to Mr. Rajnath Singh's "known closeness" to Raja Bhaiya, a U.P. MLA.

Four-page resolution

The four-page resolution reflected Mr. Advani's presidential speech here on Wednesday.

There were references to the oil-for-food scandal leading to the exit of Natwar Singh, to the allegations in Mitrokhin Archives, a plea to the Election Commission to conduct fair and free polls in West Bengal, immigration from Bangladesh, the Karbi-Dimasa violence in Assam, and laudatory remarks about the party's progress over the last 25 years.Finally, the resolution made clear the BJP's intention to bring out the contradictions within the ruling United Progressive Alliance while declaring that the National Democratic Alliance was a "government-in-waiting."

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