- Anil Narendra
Senior BJP leader, LK Advani will set on another Rath Yatra. Claiming UPA government loosing its legitimacy and its mandate, Mr Advani has announced that he will be undertaking this Rath Yatra before November in protest against this corrupt government. He says that he will expose the way, the cash for vote issue has been treated by the government before the masses through his yatra. The proposed yatra was discussed by the BJP Core Group. The yatra is likely to cover a distance of about 6,000 kms. Mr Advani wants to highlight clean politics and good governance, whereas some of the BJP leaders think that the thrust of this yatra should be on anti-corruption, as the corruption is the main issue in the country currently. Leaders of states like Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and UP want this yatra to pass through their states, as these states would be going for Assembly elections very soon, But other leaders do not agree with this line of thinking.
This yatra of Mr Advani is being both supported as well as criticized. Let us take criticism first. Anna Hazare and his team think that this yatra is being undertaken to undermine the importance of their movement. Calling this yatra as an effort to show off, Anna himself has said that he would not support BJP, till it does not support Jan Lokpal Bill in the Parliament and its State governments do not enact laws for appointment of Lokayuktas. Anna told TV Channels, if Mr Advani is serious on the issue of corruption, then instead of undertaking the rath yatra, he must persuade BJP-led States to enact laws for appointment of Lokayuktas. Recently, the Anna team held an important meeting at Ralegan. Social Activiist, Medha Patkar had expressed her serious reservations over the proposed rath yatra at the meeting. She clearly stated that the rath yatra of Advaniji must not get Anna Hazare's support at any cost. Medha Patkar warned that this was a political march that has nothing to do with the issue of corruption. As far as the Congress reaction is concerned, it is not happy with this rath yatra. One of the leaders went to the extent of calling it a master stroke of Advaniji. The proposed rath yatra of top BJP leader, known as the Iron Man of the Party, immediately after Anna's movement, relief to Narendra Modi by Supreme Court and rumours of mid-term elections have added to the concerns of the Party. The Party is already under pressure on corruption issue. First, it was Anna Hazare and now BJP leader LK Advani's announcement of undertaking rath yatra on the issue of corruption that have created more problems for the government and the party. The Congress is really worried over the ensuing Assembly elections in five States in coming months. The most important of these is UP election. The Party is also hoping to form government in Punjab and Uttarkhand this time. The problem is that the Anna movement has sent a message to the masses that the government and the Party are not serious over the issue of corruption and this has proved a great irritant to the Party. The Party is also apprehensive of Advani's master stroke, which he has played to grab benefit of the atmosphere created by Anna's movement. The problem for the government and the party is not Advani alone. Anna, too is mulling the idea of touring villages. Yog Guru Baba Ramdev has also been keeping bitterness towards the government and he is also planning yatras afresh. All these three yatras coincide on the issue of corruption. Under these circumstances, the corruption issue will not only continue to dominate, but in case the Congress is defeated in these Assembly elections, even then the issue may impact the outcome of the 2014 General Elections. Advaniji also wants that the government as well as the party, remain under pressure.
Some BJP leaders of second line are also not happy over this rath yatra in the heart of their heart. They fear that even if NDA under the leadership of BJP is able to come to power in 2014 general elections, their dream of becoming Prime Minister will not be fulfilled as Mr Advani will be left as number one leader of the BJP. On the other hand, BJP workers are happy with this yatra and they would welcome this move whole-heartedly. The party workers will be active during this yatra and in fact this is one of the objectives of Mr Advani, but there are leaders like Ram Jethmalani in the Party, who are bent upon puncturing his rath, before it embarks on its journey. Putting up arguments on behalf of jailed leader Amar Singh, Ram Jethmalani said in the Tees Hazari Court on Monday that since this sting operation was carried out at the instance of the BJP, the arrangement to disburse money to MPs must have been done by them. Earlier also, Jethmalani has been creating such difficult situations for BJP. While the BJP had opened a front against UPA government in 2-G Spectrum scam, Jethmalani has appeared as a defence lawyer for Kanimojhi, a Rajya Sabha MP, who is in Tihar Jail these days over the 2-G scam. It is interesting to note that on one hand, Advani announces to come to streets on this matter, and on the other, a member of his party alleges that money in the cash for vote incident, the cash must have come from the BJP coffers. These allegations of Ram Jethmalani could belittle the impact of proposed rath yatra of Shri Advani, as from the very beginning the BJP has been putting UPA government to the dock in the cash for vote matter. It has been calling two of its members, who are behind bars in Tihar Jail as the whistle blowers and it has been in this reference that Shri Advani has also stated about his willingness to go to jail.
It may, however, be noted that neither Ram Mandir nor the Hindutva is at the centre of this proposed rath yatra, but it is about the two issues namely good governance and clean politics and it appeals to all religious communities. But, why, in the first place, the need for such a rath yatra was felt? There are two reasons for this. Scams after scam have put the UPA government on the offensive. Then, it was the Anna movement which made this a household issue. Being the largest opposition party, BJP feels that it is likely to be benefited the most out of the present atmosphere. Secondly, the Delhi Police has added to its uneasiness. Two of its former MPs have been sent to Tihar by the Court. Then, the Court has also issued notice to the one-time close associate of Shri Advani, Sudheendra Kulkarni and the Delhi Police has sought permission from the Lok Sabha Speaker to initiate action against a present BJP MP. The BJP has, however claimed that the persons who have been made accused, are the persons, who were, in fact, trying to expose the Congress conspiracy to secure majority through the trading of MPs. The BJP leadership might have felt that it would have to bear a huge loss, if the Party kept quite over the issue. It cannot be denied that in the twilight of his political career, Shri Advani is looking at it as an only opportunity to reach to the highest post in the country. But to achieve this objective, he will have to try to re-clean and re-organize his party. Perhaps, the biggest challenge for Advaniji would be to rekindle faith among the masses that he is really against the corruption and he is honestly in favour of elimination of corruption. No doubt, some tainted leaders have been removed from the Party, but still there are a number of leaders who would not hesitate in accepting money, if offered. It is a sad commentary on BJP that it has leaders in its fold with clean image like Advaniji along with tainted ones. Threat to Advaniji is not from without, but from within.
Amar Singh, Anil Narendra, Cash for Vote Scam, Corruption, Daily Pratap, L K Advani, Rath Yatra, Vir Arjun
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