New Delhi, August 20
Veteran BJP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana was today suspended from the party on charges of “gross indiscipline” for repeatedly attacking, in public and through the media, party President
L. K. Advani and demanding the removal of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to “clear the taint” of the post-Godhra riots.
Mr Khurana was also relieved of his responsibility as in charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana with immediate effect.
The disciplinary action came after Mr Khurana today made public through the media his letter to Mr Advani in which he had cited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s apology for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and removal of Jagdish Tytler from the Union Cabinet and demanded that the party President should also apologise for the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat and remove Mr Modi to “clear the taint”.
Reacting to his suspension, the 69-year-old Khurana said he was ready to face any action and would decide on the future course of action after consulting his confidants.
Announcing the party decision, BJP General Secretary and spokesperson Sushma Swaraj said “the party has been forced to take such a drastic action as Mr Khurana had been repeatedly indulging in repeatedly raising internal affairs of the party in the public through the media.”
“He (Mr Khurana) has even stated that he will not be able to continue in the party till Mr Advani remained its President... We had to take stern action as the water has gone above the head,” Ms Swaraj told newspersons.
Soon after Mr Khurana’s latest missive against Mr Advani, party General Secretaries — Pramod Mahajan, Rajnath Singh, Om Mathur, Sanjay Joshi, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley — discussed among themselves and impressed upon Mr Advani, who was leaving for Ahmedabad, the need for taking stern action to check indiscipline in the party.
“Once Mr Advani gave the green signal for the action, Mr Khurana’s suspension was announced,” she said, adding that a show-cause notice was being issued to Mr Khurana seeking his reply within 15 days why he should not be expelled from
the party for indiscipline. The show-cause notice would be issued soon by Mr Sanjay Joshi, General Secretary (Organisation), on his return from Chennai, Ms Swaraj said.
Mr Khurana, who had been annoyed with the BJP leadership for being “sidelined” within the party after he quit the position of Rajasthan Governor, had in his letter to Mr Advani on August 18 demanded the immediate removal of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to clear the “taint” on the party due to the Gujarat riots.
He accused the party-led former NDA government of failing to provide justice or rehabilitate the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims and Kashmiri Pandit refugees despite being in power.
Mr Khurana said the “accused in the shameful Gujarat carnage are still roaming freely. The party can fight for justice for the anti-Sikh riot victims only after it ‘punishes those responsible’ for the 2002 riots.”
Virtually holding Mr Modi guilty of the 2002 riots in Gujarat, Mr Khurana cited critical remarks made by the Supreme Court on the role of the Chief Minister.
Jumping on the Gujarat dissident bandwagon, Mr Khurana had met former Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel in the Capital earlier this week supporting their demand and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee yesterday to complain against Mr Advani’s “style of functioning”.
Meanwhile, noting with concern the simmering rebellion in various state units, including Gujarat, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh, the party has decided to hold a “chintan baithak” after the conclusion of the present monsoon session of Parliament and ahead of the BJP’s National Executive in Chennai, beginning September 16.
“The date for the “chintan baithak” is yet to be decided, but it will be held after the conclusion of the present Parliament session,” Ms Swaraj said, admitting that “it is a matter of concern for the party that those leaders, who got maximum respect and position in the party, are now indulging in anti-party activities.”
“If any party leader or worker had any problem or suggestion to make, there are several party forums available to him or her to raise it. But, no one can just be allowed to get away after raising party’s internal issues through the media,” Ms Swaraj said.
However, when asked whether like in the case of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti, whose suspension from the party was revoked, after she had apologised, Mr Khurana’s suspension would also be revoked, Ms Swaraj said “the final action will depend on the response from Mr Khurana on the show-cause notice. The disciplinary committee of the party will decide on the future course of action based on the reply.”
