Tamed Khurana Retracts Govt Criticism

Former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana retracted from his public criticism of the government under pressure from the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). A cornered Khurana had reportedly realised that he would become irrelevant in the absence of a strong RSS backing.

Senior RSS leaders persuaded former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana not to precipitate a crisis by forcing a discussion in the Lok Sabha on phasing out of quantitative restrictions on imports, setting up of Sankhya Vahini and PDS price increase.

Khurana had levelled allegations against the Vajpayee government and declared his intention to press for a discussion on these controversial issues in the Lok Sabha. He yesterday announced that he would not go ahead with his plan.

 

Vajpayee evolved a face-saving formula by giving him a patient hearing on April 30 and telling him that he (Vajpayee) would ask party president Kushabhau Thakre to convene a party meeting to discuss these issues in detail. Khurana was with Vajpayee for about an hour. Vajpayee told Khurana to discuss the issues at a right forum.

"As a disciplined soldier of the party, I have the Prime Minister's advice. Accordingly, I have decided not to raise these issues in the Lok Sabha," he said.

The turnaround came after RSS general secretary Madan Das Devi and other senior RSS leaders refused to support his stand even when they held these issues important, an RSS leader said. Khurana met Devi on April 30 to try to elicit his support. Later, a cornered Khurana met Vajpayee.

Devi reportedly told Khurana that he should not precipitate a crisis by moving the notice for a discussion on the issues in the Lok Sabha. Devi hinted that the party could take disciplinary action against him, the RSS leader disclosed.

Khurana's public opposition to the government had come in anticipation that he would get the RSS backing. However, RSS leaders could not support him as this would have meant direct confrontation with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader conceded. Senior RSS leader Dattopant Thengdi had opposed setting up of Sankhya Vahini and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an RSS affiliate espousing swadeshi, and has also been opposing the removal of quantitative restrictions.

Some BJP leaders, however, said that the issues raised by Khurana were likely to figure at the BJP's parliamentary party meeting today.

The removal decision was taken by Vajpayee and Union home minister L K Advani as a damage control exercise, a senior BJP leader said.

Senior party vice-president Jana Krishnamurthy justified his removal and said he (Khurana) did not fit into the party's scheme of things.