Advani says yatra not meant to 'repackage' himself

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Amid speculation over BJP's prime ministerial candidate, L. K. Advani on Thursday said that his yatra was not aimed at 'repackaging' himself.

"People ask me if this yatra of yours is to repackage Advani. My answer is very clear that it has no link with me or the BJP."

"It aims to generate self-confidence among the people in this hour of deep dejection," Advani said while flagging off Jan Swabhiman Yatra led by national vice-president Kalraj Mishra in Uttar Pradesh.

Advani spoke after party leader Uma Bharti claimed that he is the 'most capable person' to lead the country in the present situation. Welcoming Advani's yatra here, Bharti said that in the past Vishwanath Pratap Singh had raised the issue of corruption in Bofors and had gone on to become the Prime Minister.

"Advani ji is the most capable person to lead the country in the present situation," she said and added that though Advani "would turn 84 in November, he retained the enthusiasm of a twelve-year-old".

Bharti said that she had argued with Advani when at a BJP national executive in Mumbai in 1995, Advani had proposed Atal Bihari Vajpayee's name as the BJP's prime ministerial choice.

Advani, she said, had taken that decision to uphold the wishes of the people. As his yatra crossed Uttar Pradesh, where assembly polls are due next year, Advani said the state should take lead in rooting out corruption.

"Huge amount of black money is stashed away in foreign banks. The country which has huge potential is unable to become a great nation," he said.

Advani said that it was unfortunate that whatever was being done to address the menace of corrution, is either by the courts, CAG or PAC while "the government is doing nothing".

"Confidence of the people was shaken when they heard about spectrum case, Mumbai land scam and corruption in Commonwealth Games project," Advani said.

The BJP leader said Uttar Pradesh being a crucial state, it was important that corruption menace is fought effectively. "A good opportunity has come."

"There is deep sense of dejection among people and this yatra is an attempt to generate confidence during this period of depression," Advani said and claimed that corruption was the root cause of inflation.

"If this black money stashed in foreign banks is brought back, of the six lakh villages in the country there will not a be single one without drinking water, road, school and electricity."

"The country which is being considered poor will become prosperous," he said. "I have done six yatras, but from the response generated by his yatra it seems that it will give positive return," Advani said.

Praising senior leader Murali Manohar Joshi, he said Joshi 'exposed' the Prime Minister and the then Finance Minister in the 2G case.

"Bhrastachaar mitayenge, naya bharat banayenge aur Kala dhan wapas layenge naya bharat banayenge (We will root out corruption and make a new India and We will bring back the black money and make a new India) are the new slogans," he said.

Advani said that he has emotional attachment with Mugalsarai and Varanasi. "In Mugalsarai Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya made the supreme sacrifice. Varanasi is the place where my family spent four years before moving to Kutch after coming from Pakistan."

Speaking on the occasion, Joshi alleged that Congress was creating hurdles in probe into 2G case. "There is scam everywhere and allegation are being leveled against the CAG after it assessed 2G scam to the tune of Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 1.76 lakh crore," he alleged.

Kalraj Mishra, who will lead the yatra, alleged that there was complete anarchy in the state where corruption 'has been institutionalised'.

BJP leaders including Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Uma Bharati, Ravi Shanker Prasad and Ananth Kumar were present on the occasion.