NEW DELHI: The divergent public statements on the Mumbai blasts — made on Wednesday by the Bharatiya Janata Party through a resolution adopted here and by the Leader of the Opposition, L.K. Advani, at a press conference in Mumbai — have became a topic of discussion among party leaders here. And Sudheendra Kulkarni, "adviser" to Mr. Advani, is being blamed for Mr. Advani taking a different line.

Pakistan visit

Mr. Kulkarni became the fall guy after Mr. Advani's visit to Pakistan in June last. Party leaders have said in private that Mr. Kulkarni's "influence" on Mr. Advani had led to his "Jinnah is secular" formulation, and eventually to his exit from the party chief's post. Once again, it seems that it was Mr. Kulkarni who drafted the restrained and "statesmanlike" statement that Mr. Advani made in Mumbai as opposed to the "Government must govern or get out" stance adopted by the party.

Apparently, Mr. Kulkarni accompanied Mr. Advani to Mumbai, where the latter said "it was not the time to criticise the Government on its acts of commission and omission" even as the party's central office-bearers met here — the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, participated in the meeting — and adopted a resolution condemning the blasts and also the Government.

Party leaders admit that ever since the BJP lost power, Mr. Advani has been trying to change his hawkish image. His journey to Pakistan, and all that he said there were seen to be part of that effort. Mr. Kulkarni, who was at one time the ghost-writer of Mr. Vajpayee's "musings," was chosen by Mr. Advani to help him achieve that transformation.

However, on record the party position is that Mr. Advani's views were not different from its views. In fact, he has himself often charged the Government with being "soft" on terrorists.

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