Putting at rest the reported differences with his political mentor L.K. Advani, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed the veteran leader launching the Jan Chetna Yatra from Tuesday and said it would change the “fate” of the country.
Writing in his blog, Mr. Modi said it was “ridiculous” for some people to impute motives to the yatra. “I only feel pity for those who held the ridiculous belief that Mr. Advani, who spent 60 years of his life serving the nation, 90 per cent of which in the Opposition, is launching the yatra across the country to gain some posts.”
He had the opportunity of working closely with Mr. Advani for a long time. It was regrettable that some “vested interests” were spreading canard against the veteran leader, Mr. Modi said. But, he said, he was confident that the people would not allow the efforts the leader was undertaking at this ripe age to go waste.
Tracing the history of the country when the Congress, “engulfed in charges of corruption,” was removed from power by the people, in 1974 in Gujarat (Navnirman agitation) and in 1977 (post-Emergency) and 1989 (Bofors) at the Centre, Mr. Modi said a similar situation arose now and Mr. Advani's yatra, to spread awareness among the people of the problems of corruption in high offices and black money, was certain to “change the fate of the country.”
Without referring to the allegation that he had forced Mr. Advani to start his programme from Bihar, instead of from Gujarat as was originally planned, Mr. Modi said considering the issues involved in the yatra, it was in the fitness of things that it should start from the birthplace of and on the birth anniversary of the iconic leader, Jayaprakash Narayan.
“Again the history is repeating itself. It was one Bihar Chief Minister who had stopped Mr. Advani's one yatra some two decades ago, and another Bihar Chief Minister is set to flag off his this Yatra tomorrow [Tuesday]. There can be nothing more happier occasion than this,” Mr. Modi wrote.
