BJP's "new team" responsible for its destruction: Khurana

New Delhi, Apr 15 (UNI) Continuing with his sharp attacks on the BJP, suspended party leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana today alleged that the "new crop" of leaders in the party was responsible for its deterioration over the last few years.

''Till Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee was at the helm of affairs, the party was being run well. However, deterioration crept in after the new crop of leaders came to hold centretage,''Mr Khurana said in his address to the hundreds of activists of his Delhi Bachao Morcha gathered at Jantar Mantar.

''Till 1998, the BJP was run on principles. However, after it came to power at the Centre in the 1998 Lok Sabha polls, the situation changed and the new leaders of the party began running it like a private limited company,''Mr Khurana said.

Levelling charges of corruption against several BJP leaders, he said,''several party leaders who became ministers in the NDA Government at the Centre were no bodies 7-8 years ago but today they are millionaires.'' While clarifying that he was firmly wedded to the philosophy of BJP and RSS, Mr Khurana said,''I cannot bring myself to work under the current leadership of the BJP who consider themselves akin to managing directors.'' Refuting the allegations that his protests stemmed from his greed for party posts, Mr Khurana said,''I have never been desirous of any post. If it were so, I would not have quit posts of chief minister, Governor and a Minister in the Union Cabinet much before the completion of my terms. While I quit as Chief Minister after just two years of my five-year term, I quit as Minister in the Union Cabinet after just ten months and quit the Rajasthan Governor's post after serving just 10 months, of the six-year term.'' However, he said, his first and foremost priority was to fight the battle of Delhi as it is a temple for me and as such ''I cannot see it being destroyed before my eyes''.

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