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Sankaracharyas return to Kanchi mutt

     Kancheepuram (Tamil Nadu): Kanchi Sankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathigal and his junior Vijayendra Saraswathigal, arrested in connection with the September 2003 Sankararaman murder case and later camping at nearby Kalavai, have returned to the Kanchi mutt after a gap of several months. The two seers, who had earlier performed a traditional puja before their departure for the Kanchi mutt, were accorded a traditional welcome by the devotees on their arrival. They later performed a religious ceremony and were presented two elephants and two umbrellas. Jayendra also offered arthi to the idol of Adi Sankara. The Sankaracharyas chose this day for returning to the mutt as it was auspicious.

Advani remains firm on resigning as BJP chief (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Leader of Opposition L.K.Advani on Wednesday continued to remain firm on his decision to resign from the presidentship of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even as the party's parliamentary unit is set to meet later this evening to review the possible impact or fallout of this move. Talking reporters after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Advani said: "I am grateful to all my colleagues, including Vajpayeeji, who have asked me to reconsider my decision. But there is no change in the reasons for which I have stated that I want to be relieved from the post." Advani, who had met Singh to brief him about his week-long visit to Pakistan, announced his resignation as BJP president on Tuesday after angering the Sangh Parivar (VHP and RSS) with comments praising Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah as a secular leader and expressing his regret over the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in December 1992. In theory, Advani could resign as party president but remain leader of the opposition in parliament. Senior party leaders, including Vajpayee have reportedly tried to persuade Advani to continue as the party president but without much success.

     Muslims belonging to BJP's minority wing demonstrated outside Advani's New Delhi residence today, asking him to reconsider his decision. "We have requested Advaniji to take back his resignation. He said that he does not believe in drama (of giving once and then taking back his resignation). We have said that we will launch a nationwide programme and force you to take back your resignation," said Mumtaz, a member of the minority wing.

     Hindu hardline groups, however, have stepped up their campaign against Advani, saying there was no need for him to reconsider his decision as his reported statements were diametrically opposed to their views. "The question is not limited to just submitting his resignation. He acknowledged the existence of Pakistan as permanent, which is against our feelings of undivided India. Did he withdraw his statement? He called Jinnah who was responsible for the partition as secular. Did he withdraw his statement? He called the demolition of Babri Masjid (mosque) as the saddest day of his life. Did he retract his statement? He also blamed the Hindus for the post-Godhra Gujarat riots. He did not take back his statement. He should withdraw his statements as they are against our feelings of nationalism," Praveen Togadia, a key leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) told reporters in Ahmedabad.

    Right-wing Hindu groups led by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), the BJP's ideological parent, regard Jinnah as a Muslim fundamentalist and blame him for the partition of the subcontinent in 1947. The BJP has been struggling for direction since losing national elections last May, seemingly unsure whether to pitch itself as a moderate force in Indian politics or pander to its Hindu- nationalist supporters. Advani was seen as a champion of the hardliners, but has steered a more moderate line since taking over the party leadership for a fourth time last October. While in government he was also regarded as a hawk who mistrusted Pakistan. Here again, he sounded a more moderate line while visiting Islamabad and Karachi, and appeared to be making his case as someone who could be trusted, as a potential future prime minister, to carry the peace process forward. Indian dailes gave mixed headlines and reactions to Advani's decision to resign as BJP chief.

     The Pioneer went with the headline " Exit the charioteer" seeking to highlight Advani's key role in making the BJP a political force to be reckoned with. It further went to say that Advani went to make peace with Pakistan, but returned hurt by the uproar at home over the comments that he had made on Jinnah and the Babri Masjid while in Karachi, the place from where he began his political journey. The Hindustan Times suggested that the BJP could opt for a short- term leader, the key aspirants being former BJP chief M.Venkaiah Naidu and Bal Apte. It also said that the next party chief would be on remote as Advani tries for an image makeover "to cast himself as a political clone of A.B.Vajpayee." In its editorial, however, the paper took Advani to task saying that " finally, the truth" had caught up with him, if not the entire BJP brass. It concluded that Advani's two statements (on Jinnah and the Babri Masjid) suggested that the party had "no core beliefs and that "BJP leaders say whatever they think will work for the moment." As far as Advani was concerned, the editorial said that he was a man "used to making up his ideology as he goes along, accustomed to saying anything that will get him a cheer. He tried too hard to please his hosts without realising that in this multimedia age, careers are broken on the basis of a single statement meant only for a tiny audience."

     The Times of India claimed that Advani had been "Jinnahed" and suggested that the composite dialogue process between India and Pakistan could suffer "collateral damage". In its editorial, it further went on to say that for the BJP, it was now a time of reckoning on whether to continue with its radical Hindutva postures .or "opt for a moderate profile and widen its political and social base. It prophesied that Advani would continue to be the Leader of Opposition and an important persona in the political hoi-poloi of the Indian capital and predicted that the BJP is "in for a much needed manthan". The Hindu highlighted the fact that BJP cadres were stunned by Advani's decision and suggested that the latter's praise of Jinnah as a secular leader was an issue that was "too hard for the BJP or the Sangh Parivar to stomach or swallow." It also highlighted Pakistan's shock over Advani's decision to resign. It quoted Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed as saying that he was " surprised over the reaction" to Advani's comments in Karachi. "Advani's image in Pakistan was as a hardliner and a hated man. But he proved otherwise and left a positive image. Why it caused problems within India is difficult to understand, " Rashid said. In its editorial, the paper said that it was not so much as what Advani did or did not say, but more about the media's "proclivity for tendentious hype and needless noise" that had cost Advani the BJP presidency. It accused the media of "over simplifying" various observations of Advani and instigating "hysterical reactions" from right-wing elements in the country. It concluded that Advani's "essay in historical revisionism strikes at the very root of the RSS's ideology, of BJP politics and of his own political persona forged through several rath yatra rituals." It suggested that Advani had come close to departing suddenly, but without any warning."

Advani to give formal response on party resolution tomorrow (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: Former BJP president L K Advani would formally give his response on the resolution passed by the BJP Parliamentay board urging him to withdraw his resignation, on Thursday. The BJP Parliamentary Party will meet now again on Thursday to consider Advani's response to their resolution. Earlier, a meeting of the party's parliamentary board condemned the recent statements made by some VHP leaders, saying that the statements had "lowered the levels of public discourse and also go against the very ethos of Hindutva."

     The following is the verbatim reproduction of the resolution: "The Parliament Board of Central Office Bearers and Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states met today to discuss the resignation submitted by Shri L.K.Advaniji. Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu presided over the meeting. Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee was present in the meeting. The meeting unequivocally rejected the resignation of Shri L.K. Advaniji. The meeting appealed to Shri Advani to continue to lead the party, which he had so ably led in the past. Shri Advaniji represents the best values in public life. He has scholarly articulated the debate on nationalism in the past due decades with rationality, logic and with powerful idioms. His contribution to our ideology is unparallel. The party has benefited enormously from his leadership and needs his leadership in the future also."

Withdraw resignation, BJP tells Advani (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The BJP Parliamentary Party has appealed to L.K.Advani to withdraw his resignation. A meeting of the party's parliamentary board condemned the recent statements made by some VHP leaders, saying that the statements had "lowered the levels of public discourse and also go against the very ethos of Hindutva." Following is the verbatim reproduction of the resolution: "The Parliament Board of Central Office Bearers and Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states met today to discuss the resignation submitted by Shri L.K.Advaniji. Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu presided over the meeting. Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee was present in the meeting. The meeting unequivocally rejected the resignation of Shri L.K. Advaniji. The meeting appealed to Shri Advani to continue to lead the party, which he had so ably led in the past. Shri Advaniji represents the best values in public life. He has scholarly articulated the debate on nationalism in the past due decades with rationality, logic and with powerful idioms. His contribution to our ideology is unparallel. The party has benefitted enormously from his leadership and needs his leadership in the future also." Earlier after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Advani said he would not be reconsidering his resignation. "But there is no change in the reasons for which I have stated that I want to relieved from the post," said Advani.

     Meanwhile, senior VHP leader Acharya Giriraj Kishore said, as a senior family member, he apologised to Advani for the rabid comments made by Praveen Togadia. He, however, termed Advani's resignation as the right step and in tune with the sentiments of the VHP. Advani, who had also briefed the Prime Minister about his week- long visit to Pakistan, announced his resignation as BJP president on Tuesday after angering the Sangh Parivar (VHP and RSS) with comments praising Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah as a secular leader and expressing his regret over the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in December 1992. Senior party leaders, including Vajpayee have reportedly tried to persuade Advani to continue as the party president but without much success. Muslims belonging to BJP's minority wing demonstrated outside Advani's New Delhi residence today, and threatened to launch a nationwide programme to force him to take back his resignation. Hardline Sangh parivar, however, has stepped up their campaign against Advani, saying there was no need for him to reconsider his decision as his reported statements were diametrically opposed to their views. "The question is not limited to just submitting his resignation. He acknowledged the existence of Pakistan as permanent, which is against our feelings of undivided India," Togadia told reporters in Ahmedabad. RSS hold Jinnah responsible for the partition of the subcontinent in 1947.

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