NEW DELHI, November 17: Hauled up by the BJP high-command, Union Parliamentary Minister Madan Lal Khurana was all brotherhood and amity today eight days before the Assembly elections. He even toed a softer line on his arch rival, former chief minister Sahib Singh Verma.A disgruntled Khurana, who was keeping away from the dust of campaigning, conveniently blamed the media for ``distorting'' his stance. ``Why should I say anything against Sahib Singh Verma? He is a leader of the Delhi BJP and a former CM of the party. I don't have any fight with any body. We are working together as a team to make Sushma Swaraj the CM.''In a major turnaround, he also said that he had no objections about Sahib Singh joining the Union cabinet. ``If the party wants to give him a position, let them. I am not opposing it.''According to the party sources, Khurana had refused to give any dates to campaign for the party in Delhi when he was approached by a senior party functionary. Both party president Kushabhau Thakre and Union Home Minister L.K. Advani had taken an exception to his stand.Later, when Khurana tried to get in touch with the Home Minister, he was reportedly told that an appointment would be possible oly after the elections were over. The Union Parliamentary Minister took the hint and promptly came out with a campaign schedule for Delhi.At a crowded press conference at the party office, Khurana was all smiles declaring that Delhi will get statehood aand the problems persisting with regard to Delhi Police and the DDA will be solved immediately if the BJP is voted to power.``The Prime Minister has already promised that the Delhi statehood Bill will be passed during the winter session of Parliament. But we want Connaught Place which generates 30 per cent of Delhi's revenue to be under the state government,'' he said.Ruling out the objections of the defence and the home ministries on handing over the Red Fort road to the Delhi government, he said: ``They are behaving as if the road is being handed over to Pakistan. The Delhi government will not run with the road to Red Fort.''He also did not forget to list the achievements of the Delhi government during his tenure as chief minister.But the kurukshetra in the Delhi BJP seemed hardly over as Sahib Singh showed no sign of relenting: ``Why did it take him a week to clarify? And what did he mean by bad elements have entered in the party in the last two years? What does this `two-year' signify?''
