Prime Minister Narendra Modi has got a pat on the back for his Pakistan initiative from two unexpected quarters. One is veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani; the other is Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav.
In the past Advani was hauled over the coals - along with Jaswant Singh - for saying that Muhammad Ali Jinnah should be appreciated for his secular vision of Pakistan, a project that was undermined by scholars such as Maulana Abul Ala Maududi, who propounded the two-nation theory, and dictator Zia-ul-Haq. At that time, Modi along with some others had said that Advani should be penalised for his remarks.
On the other hand, Yadav has said that Pakistan is India's neighbour and so India must normalise relations with a neighbour. It's hard to say whether this support for Modi would be restricted to his Pakistan initiative or it would translate into concrete support for his other ideas too.
In the past Advani was hauled over the coals - along with Jaswant Singh - for saying that Muhammad Ali Jinnah should be appreciated for his secular vision of Pakistan, a project that was undermined by scholars such as Maulana Abul Ala Maududi, who propounded the two-nation theory, and dictator Zia-ul-Haq. At that time, Modi along with some others had said that Advani should be penalised for his remarks.
On the other hand, Yadav has said that Pakistan is India's neighbour and so India must normalise relations with a neighbour. It's hard to say whether this support for Modi would be restricted to his Pakistan initiative or it would translate into concrete support for his other ideas too.