‘Dilli Ka Sher’ and Former CM Madan Lal Khurana Passes Away at 82

Former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana passed away in New Delhi on Saturday night after a prolonged illness, his family said.

Khurana, who was 82, is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters. His eldest son died last month.

A veteran of the BJP, Khurana was the chief minister of Delhi from 1993 to 1996 and was appointed the governor of Rajasthan in 2004.

He breathed his last at around 11 pm at his Kirti Nagar residence.

Harish Khurana, Son

Harish Khurana said that his father had been suffering from a chest infection and fever since the last few days and was feeling breathless since Saturday morning.

He had suffered a brain haemorrhage about five years ago and had been ailing since then. His last rites will be held on Sunday, his family said.

Union Minister Harsh Vardhan offered condolences in a tweet:

My heartfelt condolences to the BJP parivar and the family of our beloved former chief minister of Delhi & veteran BJP leader Shri Madan Lal Khurana ji who passed away today after prolonged illness. My thoughts and prayers are with his near & dear ones. May his soul rest in peace.

Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister

Veteran BJP Leader was Known as Delhi ka Sher

Apart from his stints as Delhi CM and Rajasthan governor, Khurana was at the height of his political career when he served as the Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

Popularly called the ‘Lion of Delhi’ for his work in strengthening BJP’s presence, he was always a staunch supporter of separate statehood for the capital and critical of the power dynamic between the Centre and the capital vis-a-vis the powers that the Delhi government had.

He is also credited with reviving the party in the capital after BJP’s bad loss in the general elections of 1984, held after Indira Gandhi’s death.

Occasionally Courting Controversy

Not one to mince words, Khurana had also been at the receiving end of the BJP’s ire as he was expelled from the party on at least one occasion for criticising party leaders. In 2005, he was allegedly removed the from the BJP for “indiscipline” after criticising BJP veteran LK Advani. He was reportedly taken back after he issued an apology.

The following year, he was expelled from the primary membership of the BJP for announcing that he would be attending expelled leader Uma Bharti’s rally in the capital.

In 1991, along with LK Advani, VC Shukla, P Shiv Shankar, Sharad Yadav and Balram Jakhar, Khurana was named as an accused in a case of large scale payments made to hawala brokers. The raid was a result of the arrest of militants in Kashmir, but the case eventually collapsed without a single conviction.