M A I N   N E W S

Khurana still to receive notice

New Delhi, August 21
A day after he was suspended from the party for “gross indiscipline”, senior BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana today said he had received no show-cause notice so far but asserted that he would chalk out his action plan in a couple of days after consulting some leaders in the party and the Sangh.

“I have received no notice. I have seen and heard about it through the media only,” an unfazed Khurana said, adding that he was not worried over such things.

“I have been associated with the Sangh and the BJP for 60 years. I want the party to run properly. Afterall I have devoted my entire life to its betterment,” he said.

The former Delhi Chief Minister said he felt “hurt and worried” to see the BJP’s “downfall” because of “certain people” around party president L.K. Advani.

“I feel sad to see how the party is being run by a team around Advani. These people with no mass base are sitting in AC rooms and are destroying the party.” — PTI

Advani snubs dissidents, backs Modi

Radhanpur (Gujarat), August 21
In an apparent snub to the dissidents in the Gujarat BJP, Party President L K Advani today said the state had achieved unparalleled economic progress under Chief Minister Narendra Modi and affirmed faith in his leadership.

A day after suspending party veteran Madan Lal Khurana for indiscipline after he sought Modi’s resignation, Advani made it clear at an official function here than he stood firmly behind the Gujarat chief minister.

“Mr Modi has shown a path to the nation on how to achieve all-round development,” he said, at a hugely attended function to dedicate Patan as a “Jyoti Gram” district.

Patan in North Gujarat becomes the fifth district in the state to have three-phase round-the clock power, after Mehsana, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Anand. The project which connects all its 518 villages and 210 hamlets was implemented at a cost of Rs 344 crore.

Describing Mr Modi as a “close ally and a leader who has contributed a lot in strengthening the BJP”, Mr Advani said though the party might not be in power at the Centre, it was very much at the helm of affairs in five states.

He expressed confidence that Gujarat, which was already a top-ranking state in the country, would emerge as an economically powerful region in comparison with other developed countries.

“What Gujarat has achieved on the power and water fronts, no other state can claim to be close-not even in blueprint,” said Mr Advani. He said 11,000 out of 18,000 villages, seven muncipal corporations and 157 nagarpalikas had been covered under ‘uninterrupted power supply’ scheme. The remaining villages were proposed to be covered at a pace of one thousand village per month, he added.

“Modi is the person who has taken the BJP to strength in this state. It is due to his efforts that the party and the state are in good shape,” he said while praising the state government’s “Jyotir Gram” scheme for rural electrification.

The function, which was to be a mere dedication ceremony, almost resembled an election rally. About 80,000 persons had thronged this taluka town for the event. It was an apparent show of support for the Chief Minister, who hails from Vadhnagar (Mehsana district), also in North Gujarat.

At one point, it almost turned out into a stampede-like situation and Mr Modi who was also present there, requested the crowd with folded hands to maintain decorum.

In his address, the Chief Minister said, “I have come here to seek your assessment of our government’s performance. It is a proud achievement for Gujarat that 11,000 of its villages have been covered under the Jyoti Gram scheme. Most parts of the state may be arid, but we have been continuously trying hard to solve the water problem under the Sujalam Suphalam scheme. The dry Western region has been covered by the scheme.” — UNI, IANS