The Hindu : National : I'd like the party's image to change: Advani

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Monday, Apr 03, 2006

National

National

I'd like the party's image to change: Advani

Accuses the United Progressive Alliance Government of following "minority appeasement" policies

New Delhi : As he prepares to embark on his political yatra on April 6, senior BJP leader L. K. Advani is keen on changing the party's image and does not see any immediate realignment of political forces after the coming Assembly elections.

Ahead of his more than a month-long `Bharat Suraksha Yatra,' the 78-year-old Leader of the Opposition was unsparing in his criticism of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition, especially of what he saw as its "minority appeasement" policies.

He was, however, sceptical about a mid-term election to the Lok Sabha or about revival of the third front disturbing the current bipolar polity.

In aninterview to PTI, the former BJP president admitted that the Sangh Parivar units such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were "not enthusiastic" about his yatra, but it did not hurt him.

Mr. Advani dismissed criticism by other parties about his `yatra' and fears that it may stoke violence, saying it was all a "created image" and that not a single incident of violence had been reported during his previous `yatras.'

"I continue to be what I am and I have always been. I would like the party's image to change. There is a wide dissonance between the party's reality and its image. After my resignation from the party presidentship, I said I feel sad that my party lost an opportunity," he said.

To a question as to what the party should do to change its image, he said: "Nothing except to be true to our concept of cultural nationalism. We don't have to fight shy of being proud Hindus and to its [party's] commitment to one billion people of the country, and the guarantee is there shall be justice for all and appeasement of none."

Asked whether the UPA Government would complete is term in the light of serious differences between the Communists and those in the Government, he said "it is difficult to say. Even those in Government cannot be sure. It is an arrangement of convenience."

No change

On whether he foresaw a realignment of political forces after the Assembly elections and the revival of the third front, he said: "I don't think so because results can be easily anticipated... I don't see this bi-polar polity being changed for quite some time. It (third front) has always been there. There are all others who are supposed to be belonging to the third front."

Asked whether the present arrangement at the Centre could be disturbed after the elections, he said: "I don't think so. In fact, I had foreseen the possibility of Congress party going in for some mid-term gamble, if they had won Bihar. In the entire 2005, they had been seeing only setbacks."

Queried whether Congress president Sonia Gandhi's resignation could be exploited for electoral gains in the near future, he said, "People are mature enough to see through all this."

Asked about the VHP's strident criticism about him and that it was not enthusiastic about his yatra, he said, ``They are not enthusiastic about me. Ever since I made those remarks on Jinnah, it has been there."

On whether he was hurt by it, he said it did not. "I have never spoken about those in the organisation [Sangh Parivar]." On the Sangh Parivar criticism that the BJP had not worked towards construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Mr. Advani said, "Our Government was a coalition Government and was committed to finding a solution either by agreement or court verdict."

Whether he foresaw the possibility of Ayodhya issue being resolved at any time, irrespective of whether the BJP was in power or not, he said, "I do foresee a solution. It will be by mutual agreement."

However, he added, that for any solution the VHP and the Babri Masjid Action Committee had to be involved.

Asked about the perception that he still had a vice-like grip over the BJP, he said he had told his successor Rajnath Singh that he should be allowed to concentrate on Parliament work. Mr. Singh was asked to take full charge of the organisation, which he has been handling "very ably." Queried about his speech at the national executive in Chennai on the public perception that the RSS was "remote controlling" the party and whether Mr. Singh's frequent consultations with the Sangh fountainhead perpetuated this, he said, "I don't think so."

Giving the background to his decision to embark on the `yatra,' Mr. Advani said while three judicial pronouncements and two scandals formed the backdrop, the Rajinder Sachar Committee's decision to seek a headcount of minorities in the armed forces "provided the trigger."

Policy of appeasement

Mr. Advani said Governments have been in the last 50 years practising policies of appeasement of minorities but the Committee's questionnaire was unprecedented.

He charged that in the last two years, the UPA Government had been taking a series of "appeasement" decisions such as reservation for Muslims in AMU, job quota in Andhra Pradesh, amendment to the Foreigners Act after the Supreme Court struck down IMDT.

There was also a need to explain to the people about two issues — the Volcker Committee report and Quattrocchi. While Natwar Singh and Buta Singh were made scapegoats in the Volcker and Bihar Assembly dissolution controversies, there was no accountability on the part of the Congress party or the Union Council of Ministers which took the decision on Bihar, he said.

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