'Give some responsibility or let me go'

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana on Thursday asked party chief Rajnath Singh to assign him a "key responsibility" in the organisation or be allowed to take his own course.

"If there is no job for me in BJP, then I should be allowed to go," he said.

On his decision to join rebel leader Uma Bharti's 'Janadesh rally' in Delhi next week, Khurana said, "The BJP President has asked me not to make any hasty decision until we meet in a couple of days."

"Fine, but I have written to him that I have been denied any key responsibility in the party since I quit as Delhi Chief Minister in 1996," the veteran leader said.

The former Rajasthan Governor, who was briefly suspended from the party last year for his outbursts against then BJP chief L K Advani, also claimed the party had "broken its promise" that he would be named for a Rajya Sabha berth.

"After the Havala case came up, I resigned as Delhi Chief Minister in 1996 because Advani told me to do so, although the then RSS chief Rajju Bhaiya wanted me not to quit. I could have easily remained in my post, citing RSS directives but I resigned in accordance with Advani's wishes," he claimed.

He also regretted being denied any party platform to address issues related to the people of Delhi.

"I have not been put in charge of any state. And now, when I see all these demolitions in Delhi, I want to do something for the people of the capital. If the party gives me some responsibility, it is fine, otherwise I should be doing

something on my own," he added.

Later, Khurana, who described his resignation as Delhi Chief Minister ten years ago on Advani's advice as the "biggest mistake" of his life, told reporters that he was willing to face expulsion from the party if it objected to his campaign against the MCD demolition drive.

He regretted that the Delhi BJP did not lend support to his aide and MLA H S Balli's hunger strike last month over the court-ordered demolitions.

"I am ready to face any action for the cause of the people of Delhi," he added.

In a snipe at Advani for his post-Varnasi blast march scheduled for next month, he said the former BJP chief should be taking out a similar yatra in Delhi to protest against the current demolitions in the capital.