Advbani skips temple issue, speaks of Narmada

MANDATE 2004

If day one of the second leg of L K Advani's Bharat Uday Yatra was about the cause of Hindutva and construction of the Ram temple at Ayodhya, the Deputy Prime Minister cautiously evaded the issue on the second day of his trip, rather preferring to speak on the success achieved through the Sardar Sarovar Project and its impact on Gujarat.

The Bharat Uday Yatra passed through Surendranagar, Viramgam, Bahucharaji, Modhera, Chanasama, Patan, Siddhpur, Kheralu and Idar before reaching Himmatnagar.

Advani is scheduled to address a public meeting late in the evening at Himmatnagar town before spending the night at Himmatnagar.

Advani is scheduled to hold a couple of more public meetings before entering Rajasthan on Thursday afternoon.

However, the yatra failed to evoke the kind of response the BJP had expected, with attendences in meetings being small.

Day two of the second leg of the yatra was spent in seeking votes for development works that have taken place under the leadership of his political disciple Narendra Modi.

In seven public meetings that he held alogn the route, Advani sought votes on name of Narmada water, because "the SSP is also strongly backed by central government." Interestingly, in none of the meetings, did Advani make any mention of the Ram temple construction.

In the morning, addressing a meeting, in Surendranagar, Advani spoke of the Vision document releasd byNaidu in Delhi on Tuesday.

The Deputy Prime Minister said, "The vision document emphasises our belief that governance can be most effective if the role of the state is focussed and delivery systems are efficient. The document clearly states out the principles of governance for the BJP."

Terming the BJP as a a modern party respectful of traditions, Advani said that the vision document is a reflection of the belief in our party that changes should come with continuity.

" We have reaffirmed our faith in cultural nationalism and integral humanism and our priorities are in harmony with the coalition principles of the NDA. We have been guided by the determination to see India emerge as a developed economy and a global power by 2020," he said.

Answering a question on the Ram temple issue, Advani told Business Standard that - " BJP is not adopting balancing approach which was adopted by the British and followed by the Congress. Although I strongly believe that the temple will be built, if any issue comes in the way, we will sort it out harmoniously."

He added that although the vision document also talks of the temple, but tfor the final decision,all NDA partners will be taken in confidence by the BJP.

Following the media conference in Surendranagar, Advani addressed a 2000-odd crowd in Viramgam, from where he began speaking about the beneits of the Sardar Sarovar project.

"Yesterday, I was in Saurashtra region and came to know how important Narmada water is for the region. I am happy to know that even North Gujarat will benefit from Narmada water."

Keeping away from religious issues, the deputy PM said that in 50 years of independent India, the Congress has failed to deliver on governance and that is how from BJP rose from having two parliamentary seats in 1984, to being the single largest party in the Parliament.

"But I strongly believe that as in democracy there is an importance of opposition, the Congress should remain in existence in the interest of the nation," he said.

Advani will address meetings at Shyamlaji in Himmatnagar then in Rattanpur, which is a bordering village with Rajasthan.

Modi also praised the efforts of the state and central government in bringing Narmada water to parched areas of Saurashtra and North Gujarat. He said that the first hydel power plant from Sardar Sarovar will become operational from August 1. It will be a 450 mw hydel power project.

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, Modi called the Congress "an agent of Dawood Ibrahim. He said that through its five MPs in Gujarat, Congress tried to tarnish the image of Gujarat in the Parliament, but the people of Gujarat will decide the fate of the Congress in the forthcoming elections, he said.