NEW DELHI: On the eve of Diwali, BJP veterans LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi Shanta Kumar and Yashwant Sinha lit firecrackers targetting party president Amit Shah for his unilateral handling of party affairs.Their statement drew a principle that Modi-Shah leadership can't claim credit for victories and shrug off their responsibility for defeats.In a joint statement issued by Sinha, party elders virtually rejected 'collective accountability' principle invoked by Arun Jaitley yesterday after Parliamentary Board meeting to shield Shah from facing the flak for Bihar defeat."To say that everyone is responsible for the defeat in Bihar is to ensure that no one is held responsible. It shows that those who would have appropriated credit if the Party had won are bent on shrugging off responsibility for the disastrous showing in Bihar," read the statement rejecting yesterday's defence of Shah's responsibility of defeat. Since, PM Modi has been taking credit for the victories, this remark appeared to put PM is the dock as well.They charged that party leadership didn't derive lessons from defeat in delhi early this year and party has been "emasculated" during last one year leading to Delhi defeat."The results of the Bihar elections show that no lesson has been learnt from the fiasco in Delhi," said the statement adding, "the principal reason for the latest defeat is the way the Party has been emasculated in the last year".Advani and Joshi, who are part of Margdarshak mandal of the party, has called for a "thorough review" of defeat as well as unilateral handling of party affairs by Amit Shah."A thorough review must be done of the reasons for the defeat as well as of the way the Party is being forced to kow-tow to a handful, and how its consensual character has been destroyed," the elders have demanded with clear opposition to review by the existing party leadership."This review must not be done by the very persons who have managed and who have been responsible for the campaign in Bihar," they have said.The statement holds significance as it casts a shadow on Amit Shah's bid for fresh presidential term for next three years.Party's defeat in delhi was not reviewed in the National Executive in Bangalore early this year after Delhi elections. In fact, Shah escaped scrutiny in National Executive as the entire meeting was hijacked praising Amit Shah's membership drive that took BJP membership beyond 10 crore. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came out in such profuse praise of Shah at National executive in Bangalore that silenced Shah critics from raising delhi defeat issue altogether.In what could have been a repeat of Delhi, finance minister Arun Jaitley broke the protocol yesterday and came out to brief after BJP Parliamentary Board meeting and invoked "collective accountability" principle to defend Amit Shah.Though these veterans are now on the margins of party's organisal scheme, they command wide acceptability and respect across the rank and file. Since junior leaders are believed to be hesitant to voice their criticism for fear of Shah's iron fist control, these elders are believed to be giving voice to a substantial section of party rank and file who is afraid to stand up to Shah.Given the fact that another BJP National Executive meeting is due anytime now, Advani and Joshi's war cry against Amit Shah is likely to resonate then.Party elders statement today evening was preceded by Bihar leader Bhola Singh's public outburst holding Shah accountable for defeat and deploring PM Narendra Modi's "stooping" below the dignity of his position during the election campaign.