For the last two days, the leadership of the BJP was on tenterhooks because of 'recent utterances' of its top leader LK Advani.
NEW DELHI: For the last two days, the leadership of the main Opposition partywas on tenterhooks because of the “recent utterances” of its top leader LK Advani. On Tuesday, the BJP president Rajnath Singh brushed off the entire controversy as “reporting with malicious intent”.
The channel had issued a press release on Sunday headlined: “I am Opposition’s PM Candidate in 2009: Advani.” But when it aired the full interview, it was revealed that the elder statesman had said what he ought to, much to the satisfaction of the party leaders. Almost all the BJP leaders, ranging from party chief to other senior leaders like M Venkaiah Naidu, Arun Jaitley and others blamed the channel for what they termed as a “mischievous press release”.
The channel, in the press note, had claimed that Advani had said he was BJP’s prime ministerial candidate in the next elections, but when the programme was aired, it was found that Advani had only referred to the British system where this perception was true but it mainly depended on the people and the party whether he becomes PM. The remark was in response to a question by the interviewer on whether he was a perennial PM-in-waiting.
The release also claimed that Advani had said: “the party will decide what to do with him (Rajnath)”.
The remark was taken to be ungraceful but in the interview Advani had said nothing of that sort. What also appeared as Advani quote “I have become more of a consultant” in the media was part of interviewers and not Advani’s statement. “I am being consulted in most of the important matters. I do not want to be involved in ordinary, normal, organisational decisions” Advani said in that interview.
Sample another query from the interviewer “Many years back, you proposed the name of Vajpayee to be the Prime Minister. Are you expecting Vajpayee to return the favour?” Advani responded “There is no question of anyone returning any favours of this kind.”
It is a question of assessment and I still think that it will depend a lot upon not only Vajpayee, but the whole party to decide who will be the Prime Minster.” This was turned into a one-line quote in the pre-publicity press release that “I do not expect Vajpayee to return same favour to me” and subsequently the question was raised on Vajpayee-Advani relationship with the two old men fighting over an imaginary position.
Based on the media reports, the BJP president appeared to be somewhat angry but after watching the interview he called up Advani and congratulated him for giving a “good interview”.
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