Reiterating that his “Janchetna” yatra is an effort to “reinfuse confidence” among people despite UPA government’s failings and not to “repackage” himself, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani began the second phase of his nationwide anti-corruption campaign on Thursday from Tamil Nadu.
Before embarking on the second phase of his yatra, Mr Advani rejected criticism that he was seeking to repackage himself with this yatra.
“Frankly, I do not quite understand why I would like to repackage myself. Also, I would wish to stress with all the emphasis at my command that this yatra has nothing to do with L.K. Advani. Nor even with the BJP or the next elections. It is concerned essentially with India,” the senior BJP leader wrote on his blog. A section within the party feels with this yatra Mr Advani wants to position himself for the Prime Minister’s post for the 2014 general polls.
“My yatra is to reinfuse confidence in the people that the failings of the UPA should not be allowed to demoralise the country, and that we the people should concentrate on making the twenty-first century India’s century in spite of all the failures of the UPA,” he said adding India’s cause has been damaged due to corruption.
“The sense of confidence and self-esteem that had been building up in the people has been seriously undermined because of the happenings of this last year, numerous scams surfacing, several Central ministers being removed and even jailed because of corruption, and the cash-for-votes scandal in which instead of the bribe-givers, it was the whistle-blowers who exposed the scandal, who have been put behind bars,” he said.