Advani remembers Mahajan as a 'great manager'

NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani paid glowing tributes to late Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pramod Mahajan, remembering him as a 'great manager', on his 59th birth anniversary Tuesday.

Advani was the chief guest at a function in Saket locality in south Delhi where a road leading to the PVR cinema complex was named after Mahajan.

"Pramod was a great manager, be it administration, politics, oratory or any other issue," Advani told a modest gathering of Saket residents.

Mahajan's wife Rekha, Delhi Mayor Arti Mehra, BJP legislator Vijay Jolly and former union minister Vijay Goel were also present on the occasion.

Advani recalled that the idea to ride a rath (chariot) from Somnath to Ayodhya in October 1990 was conceived by Mahajan. "I was initially toying with the idea of a padyatra. But Pramodji shot it down saying this way I will be able to touch only one or two states. Then I said ok, let's go by jeep. He said 'jeep is fine. But my suggestion is a rath.' My first feeling was that this is too theatrical."

He stressed that a shradhanjali (tribute) is when we can recall in sufficient quantity a person's "positive contributions".

Mahajan, a former union minister, was shot dead allegedly by his brother in his Mumbai apartment on April 22, 2006.