The Hindu : National : I lived in Karachi as long as it was part of India: Advani

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 04, 2004

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I lived in Karachi as long as it was part of India: Advani

By Sunny Sebastian

JAIPUR, APRIL 3 . The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, said today that he was volunteering to speak on the issue of his Indianness as "various Congress leaders have been making the incredible claim that if Sonia Gandhi is suspect because she was born in Italy, I too should be a suspect because I was born in Karachi which is now in Pakistan."

Talking to mediapersons here, before starting on the 22nd day of his "Bharat Uday Yatra," he said was he was provoked to clarify his status as an Indian "as the Congress had been taking ridiculous positions in the past to justify the vagaries of dynastic politics."

Mr. Advani said:

"I was born in Bharat. Karachi, where I was born and lived the first 20 years of my life, was part of India until 1947. I lived in Karachi as long as it was part of India. I came away when it became part of Pakistan.

"I need hardly say that my experience is not unique. Many lakhs of Hindus and Sikhs lived in the parts that became Pakistan in 1947. They were bitterly opposed to the Partition of India. When the Partition happened they moved to India to remain Indian.

"The Indian nationality of all those who came away from the newly-created Pakistan has been recognised by the Constitution."

Mr. Advani said he could only "pity" the Congress' attitude in this regard, which hurt lakhs of citizens like him who had to leave behind the land of their ancestors. He "wondered" as to why the Congress still wanted to hold on to its official prefix, "Indian National."

"By questioning the Indianness of those who chose India over Pakistan, the Congress has maligned lakhs of Punjabis and Bengalis. It has shown a callous disregard for the patriotism of those who sacrificed everything to retain their status as Indians," he said.

On the issue of Ms. Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin, he said "the BJP will not be cowed down by the spurious suggestion that merely raising the issue constitutes personal vilification."

"The Congress is understandably anxious to stifle all debate on this subject. It is being wilfully vague about naming its prime ministerial candidate because it wants to smuggle in a person of foreign origin without securing a popular sanction," he said.

To a question on Gujarat, Mr. Advani said the riots would not have taken place, but for Godhra. "The riots should not have taken place. Yet, Akshardham was a more serious incident than even Godhra and there were no violent reactions. The militants entered the temple and the repercussions could have been worse," he said, while appreciating the role of the Gujarat Government.

"I can say only this. The Gujarat Government is doing well, be it in the power supply or the supply of drinking water," he said, giving high marks to Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister.

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