Accusing the previous NDA regime of ordering the demolition of the Ram Sethu, Uma Bharti said former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his deputy L K Advani should apologise.
NEW DELHI: Accusing the previous NDA regime of ordering the demolition of the Ram Sethu, Bhartiya Jan Shakti party leader Uma Bharti on Thursday said former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his deputy L K Advani should apologise to the nation for their mistake.
The order for 'demolition of the setu (bridge)' was given by BJP leader and shipping minister in the NDA government Shatrughan Sinha, She said in an interview to a weekly.
She further informed that she had written a letter to Vajpayee in February 2003 to save the 'setu'.
"I was of the opinion that orders to demolish the bridge was not given during the NDA regime till Janta Party chief Subramaniam Swamy showed me relevant documents suggesting otherwise," said the rebel BJP leader.
Vajpayee will have the moral right to lead the movement protesting the Project only after he apologised to the nation, she added.
Asked why only Vajpayee should lead the movement she said "because the former Prime Minister never hides his ideology nor does he ever retract his statements".
Asked why Advani should not lead it she said his leadership could reduce the issue to a mockery and added, "It is a fact that Advani did not stick to the issues he raised."
Holding the BJP responsible for the setbacks to the Ram Setu movement she said since the party was left with no issue it was trying to reclaim 'Ram'.
Taking on Narendra Modi she said Modi never bothered to visit the Sethu site but had no qualms in making it an election issue to lure voters.
"Voters should ask him how he is going to save the setu once re-elected as Gujrat CM," She quipped.
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