Advani's statement came a day after Sonia said that it was very difficult in today's politics for a leader to be a "saint" and lamented that the moment a politician gets a post he becomes arrogant.
Senior BJP leader LK Advani today seemed to echo the sentiments of Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the attitude of leaders when he said there was a need to change the image of "the ugly Indian politician".
Speaking at a BJP workshop on 'Politics for Development' organised on the death anniversary of party ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Advani said "The political community does not have a very good image. There is a need to change the image of the ugly Indian politician...People say if one is in politics one must be corrupt."
Advani's statement came a day after Sonia said that it was very difficult in today's politics for a leader to be a "saint" and lamented that the moment a politician gets a post he becomes arrogant.
Meanwhile, in an indication of the changes within the BJP after Nitin Gadkari became its chief and the RSS virtually took over the reins, the party observed Upadhyaya's death anniversary on such a big scale. Other than the workshop, two other programmes were organised in the capital.
The Antyodaya scheme, which was first mooted by Upadhyaya, was also launched today across the country.
In the workshop, Advani asked BJP leaders, especially the young, to work for Antyodaya - uplift of the poorest.
Realising the significance of an image makeover, the "party with a difference" has also launched a three-year training programme for its leaders.
Advani praised chief ministers of BJP-ruled states Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh for working towards the welfare of the weakest sections of the society.
Advani insisted that Garib Kalyan Mela, brainchild of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, has benefited 20 lakh people.
He also made a special mention of the Ladli Lakshmi Scheme for the girl child, launched by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
"The aim is to prevent people from treating the girl child as a liability," Advani said.
The senior leader, who has in the past emphasised on probity in public life, took a keen interest in the programme, the three phases of which have been named 'pravesh' (entry), 'pragati' (progress) and 'pravin' (expert).
Gadkari's political advisor-designate Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, who also heads Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini which trains RSS cadre, has designed the syllabi of the course.
Advani emphasised on working for the poor and asked his party leaders to pin-point three poorest families in their district and get them a source of livelihood.
"Sending up a satellite is not a measure of progress. Though it is a good thing, real progress is when poor families benefit. This touchstone should be used for measuring progress," he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}