LK Advani skips annual visit to Somnath temple

LK Advani, who launches a yatra against corruption from Bihar next month, today skipped his annual visit to the famous Somnath temple to mark the anniversary of the rathyatra which he had started for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya in the 1990s.

The BJP veteran had made it a point to visit Somnath temple on September 25, the day on which he started his famous rathyatara, every year since 1990 to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva.

The rathyatra aimed at mustering support for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, had stirred the country's political scenario in the 1990s, besides acting as a catalyst to many events that followed.

State BJP sources said Advani may have skipped his annual visit to Somnath today due to preparations for his forthcoming anti-corruption yatra starting on October 11 from Bihar's Sitabdiara village, the birthplace of veteran socialist Jayprakash Narayan.

The BJP veteran's rathyatra will be flagged off by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who during the last Assembly elections had not allowed his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi to campaign in the state.

The state BJP unit had earlier expected to call Advani to attend the mega rally organised by the party today on the outskirts of the city demanding recall of Gujarat governor.

However, as Advani had decided not to come to Somnath temple this year, they had dropped the idea, sources in the party added.