Thursday, April 20 2006 16:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana today (Apr 20, 2006) resigned from the BJP, severing his ties with the party from which he was suspended last month for defiance.

The 70-year-old leader, who was associated with the party for over five decades since the days of Jan Sangh told a news conference here that he was upset with senior party leader L K Advani, the architect of the Ayodhya movement, for not building a Ram temple in Ayodhya while being in power for six years.

Also, he claimed he had some 'shocking' information about the 1999 hijack of an Indian Airlines aircraft to Kandahar, but did not disclose what it was.

Khurana, a former Governor, also attributed his decision to quit the BJP to what he said were some damning 'sex scandals' involving party leaders.

Asked to elaborate on the reasons for his resignation, the former Union Minister said he would speak about them next week.

"Even the Sanjay Joshi episode will appear a pigmy beforethe sex scandals that I will unearth next week," he said.

Khurana said he had sent his resignation, addressed to BJP chief Rajnath Singh, to the party office. He also sent its copies to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, RSSchief K S Sudarshan and VHP leader Ashok Singhal.

Last year Khurana was briefly suspended for his outbursts against Advani but the action was revoked at the inertvention of Vajpayee. He had of late been backing another expelled leader Uma Bharti.