No difference between Advani and Modi, suggests Congress

As crisis within BJP continued, Congress today suggested that there was no difference between L K Advani and Narendra Modi as to who was more secular.

"Advani is more in age (than Modi) and one has to respect the age. It is our culture...," was the reaction of party spokesman Raj Babbar when asked by reporters whether the Congress felt that Advani is more secular than Modi.

He also sidestepped questions as to what was the difference between Advani and Modi. "It is not for us to tell a senior journalist like you. It is time you go into it", he merely told the questioner.

As BJP continued to grapple with the crisis in the wake of Advani's resignation from key party posts in the wake of elevation of Modi, Babbar at the outset said that what was being witnessed was an "internal matter" of that party.

At the same time, he took potshots at the Sangh Parivar and the BJP contending that the developments since 1925 when the RSS was founded had shown that "these people are anti-political".

"The developments since 1925 show, may it be 1942 (Quit India movement), 1947 (independence to the country) ... that these people are anti-political. Some people are political, some are apolitical. They are anti-political. Jan 30, 1948 and Dec 6, 1992 (assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and demolition of Babri Masjid respectively) also show this." The Congress statement is significant as it has come at a time when BJP allies like JD-U have been projecting Advani in a secular light and are virtually threatening a pull out from NDA in the absence of Advani, who resigned a day after Modi was anointed as BJP's campaign committee chief.

Replying to a question, Babbar wondered how could Modi be acceptable in the country when he is "not acceptable within the BJP and among allies".