Bijnore, Feb 20: In a bid to avoid yet another controversy ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP has made payment of Rs 1.36 lakh to a restaurant owner. The bill is for the lunch and breakfast served to the party activists during an election rally addressed by Prime Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999. Coming in the wake of the recent controversy over non-payment of a Goa hotel due by Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the party did not want it to be made a poll issue by the opposition Congress, which had already launched a media campaign in this regard, BJP sources said.



When contacted, District Collector S K Verma said with the payment being made, the matter is now closed.


During an election rally addressed by Vajpayee here on September 17, 1999 , the local administration had verbally instructed the restaurant owner, Anil Kumar, to prepare breakfast and lunch for the leaders.


Kumar said he had then made arrangements for 455 people at the rate of Rs 300 each and taken a written undertaking from a local administration official.

But when he sent the bills to the administration, there was no response. Kumar then started approaching BJP leaders but to no avail.



With the elections approaching again after five years, Kumar wrote to the Prime Minister's Office which took the matter seriously. The PMO sought information from the local administration and asked a senior officer to look into it.


Last Friday during a 'Vijay Sankalp' rally in Meerut , central BJP leaders asked the local leaders to make the payment immediately. Bureau Report