Bhopal, April 19: BJP president-elect Kushabhau Thakre on Saturday ventured bravely to defend the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government on the corruption issue but soon gave up, merely saying ``I am president of the BJP. I don't run the Government.'' He also took refuge in ``I don't want to discuss these issues'' or ``I don't want to say anything on the matter.''Thakre was addressing a Press conference - one of the very few in his life - at the State party headquarters this afternoon. He had, in fact, broached the subject himself by observing at the outset that the United Front Government was ``no government in the real sense as it did not take any serious decision'' and the Congress Government earlier had only provided protection to corruption.How was it then, he was asked, that persons like Buta Singh and Sukh Ram who were removed by the Congress from the Cabinet following corruption charges against them were included by the BJP in the coalition governments led by it? Thakre said: ``That is a problembefore us. We are trying to find a way out.''His remark that the BJP would never compromise with corruption had several reporters on their feet on the goings-on at the Centre in the wake of Muthaia's resignation and Thakre had to wriggle out by refusing to say anything on the subject.Asked if the party would have control over the Government, Thakre said: ``Advani and Vajpayee know what has to be done. We (the party and the Government) are complementing each other. We are not quarrelling partners.'' He also said that ``Advaniji was our ideal.''To a question as to what would be his priorities after formally taking over as BJP president, Thakre replied: ``There is a collective leadership in our party and no decision is taken by an individual even though he may be the president.'' Thakre arrived this morning on his first visit to Bhopal after having been elected BJP president.
