Khurana, who had reportedly criticised certain members of the Sangh Parivar at the Bangalore national executive meet of the party recently for creating impediments in the way of working of the Vajpayee Government, said he had kept silent all this while because of `party discipline', party sources said.

Khurana, who was reportedly awaiting another opportunity to take on the belligerent members of the Sangh Parivar, said it was ``time for me for atonement'' since these incidents have lowered the party's image.

Highly placed BJP sources said Khurana who sent his letter yesterday to Thakre did not spell out the mode of atonement.

They, however, said Khurana had charged some people withactively conniving in acts to destabilise the Vajpayee Government and reduce its credibility by carrying out such acts.

Khurana said for him the meaning of nationalism was ``total dedication to the nation and the meaning of Hindutva for some could be destruction of cinema halls, digging up of cricket pitches or setting ablaze churches. But, that is not Hindutva I believe in''.

He said in his letter that the burning of the Australian missionary and his two sons in Orissa was an inhuman act and that our heads have bowed in shame. I am shaken by it.

The BJP leader said ``day by day the image and credibility of the BJP-Government at the Centre was going down with the incidents in Gujarat, destruction of cricket pitches or burning of the missionary in Orissa'', party sources said.

Khurana said in his letter, ``main prayaschit karna chahatha hun'' though he did not spell out the details, the sources said.