After targeting the BJP leadership by twisting the fairy tale ‘Alice in Blunderland’ and comparing the party chief Rajnath Singh to nursery rhyme character ‘Humpty Dumpty’ is Arun Shourie, party’s Rajya Sabha MP, through with his set of ‘rhymed- advice’ for his party’s top brass?

Shourie’s take: “The question to be asked is whether the BJP is through with me?”

Responding to a HT query at the Shaping Young Minds Programme organized jointly by All India Management Association and Lucknow Management Association in Lucknow on Saturday, Shourie made a tongue in cheek remark, “I am very grateful to the BJP leadership for their large heartedness and sparing me (from expulsion), despite my criticism.”

He said, “But, frankly now the RSS, as I had advocated is giving some thought to the matter and collective processes for party’s betterment have been set in motion. Hopefully something good would happen out of it.”

Shourie had raised the banner of revolt against the leadership by demanding that RSS take over the party and change its top brass lock, stock and barrel.

He again attacked the BJP leadership over the expulsion of Jaswant Singh describing it as a “disastrous step.”

“But thanks to the expulsion and the ban on his book, the sales have 100 times more than what it would have been otherwise. The book’s Bengali edition is also out and is selling like hot cakes. The Gujarat High Court has already struck down the ban on the book,” he said.

He added, “When governments, parties or goons come in the way of free expression, one should pause, take a deep breath … The sales would double!”

Having said that he again teased the BJP, describing HRD minister Kapil Sibal’s 80 per cent qualifying-marks proposals for the IIT as a “good move” which was in line with the recommendations made by an expert committee. “That’s the problem. Sibal made the right move but a couple of politicians started objecting and he was forced to take a somersault.” Then he proceeded to describe Home Minister P Chidambaram, “the first home minister to attend to the issue of improving our intelligence network and modernize our police.”

The comment, which some BJP leaders in Lucknow felt was aimed at embarrassing party’s top leader LK Advani who too had been the Home Minister, was made while referring to Naxal problem. “I refuse to believe that the Naxal problem is essentially because of poverty. It just indicates lack of proper governance. I believe that monopoly of violence must rest with the state and anyone else taking to arms, should be dealt with strongly. The hand that holds a gun, threatening the state, must be cut down.”