BJP launches anthem for Advani's ‘Rath Yatra'

Mr. Advani demanded that names of some people who have got money in foreign shores and which is in the know of the government should be made public without any delay

Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani being felicitated by Delhi villagers ahead of his 'Jan Chetna Yatra', at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday. Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

There will be a pop element in senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L. K. Advani's rath yatra as the party launched on Sunday, a four-and-a-half minute-long song sung by Bollywood singer Raja Hasan and directed by filmmaker Mani Shankar.

The song, Ab Bas (now enough), opens with Mr. Advani reciting lines about “Thousands of crores of nation's money in foreign banks,” and inflation.

The yatra anthem ends with him again reciting lines on ‘sankalp' to eradicate corruption.

At the launch function at his Prithviraj Road residence, Mr. Advani said: “The vigour with which the United States, Germany, France and other countries whose (black) money are lodged in tax havens have pursued the issue, was lacking in India's context...During this period, many have even withdrawn this money.”

“The Indian government has got some names of people who have got money in foreign shores.

“I demand that all those names should be made public without delay,” he said.

The BJP leader said he was initially hesitant to recite the song but the director made him do so.

He had seen Mani Shankar's film Knock Out , which was about black money issue. When the decision for the yatra was taken, his daughter Pratibha contacted the filmmaker who agreed, and prepared the anthem in two days.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Shankar said none of the artists had charged for the song.