BJP rebuffs Khurana, backs Sahib Singh

New Delhi, Nov 12: Union Minister and former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana's fortunes dipped lower today with the BJP indirectly re...

New Delhi, Nov 12: Union Minister and former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana8217;s fortunes dipped lower today with the BJP indirectly rebuffing him and backing his rival Sahib Singh Verma. With relations with the Samata Party coming under strain after the murder of one of its Delhi candidates, the BJP supported the former8217;s demand and today urged the Government to hand the case over to the CBI if necessary.

BJP vice president K L Sharma said the party did not agree with Khurana8217;s view 8212; stated in reaction to the murder of the Samata Party8217;s Nangloi Jat candidate, Ved Singh, on Tuesday night 8212; that the law and order situation was deteriorating in the Capital. Samata Party leaders, including its chief George Fernandes, openly hinted yesterday that they suspect Verma8217;s hand behind the murder. Nangloi is a stronghold of Verma; Ved Singh was given a Samata ticket after he was denied one by the BJP.

Khurana8217;s instant reaction to the murder and his demand for a CBI inquiry raised the hackles of the Vermacamp, to which Sharma is known to belong.

However, Sharma declared that he was speaking as the party8217;s spokesman. 8220;We don8217;t agree with Khurana. The law and order situation is alright in Delhi. If comparisons have to be made we can say a lot about other state governments. No new twist should be given which can delay the arrest of the guilty,8221; he said.

He added, 8220;For anyone to take Verma8217;s name is totally mala fide and we totally repudiate any suggestion that he can be invovled in this murder.8221; To buttress his point, he said Verma always moved with security 8212; meaning that he could not have gone to threaten the Samata Party candidate. However, the family of the deceased said that relatives of Verma had threatened him.

Sharma met the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Samata Party chief George Fernandes today to urge them to give the case to the CBI if necessary. He said there should be no delay in the investigation as this would give scope for levelling more allegations.

He said that according toinformation with the police, the murder was due to a land dispute. However, all angles should be examined, including who would benefit from the murder. The Election Commission today postponed the election and gave one week8217;s time to the Samata Party to field a new candidate.

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Questioned about the BJP8217;s rivals being killed or kidnapped a Shalimar Bagh candidate 8212; another BJP rebel 8212; has been kidnapped, Sharma said this was an exaggeration and that these were only 8220;stray incidents8221;. 8220;This has never before happened in the BJP8217;s history,8221; he added.