by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Exclusive report
Emergency
brings Modi Advani together after long
New Delhi, Oct 9
It seems Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and former deputy Prime Minister L K Advani may be heading
for some sort of a truce on Sunday next. This will be after a long time that
Advani will not only share the stage with the Prime Minister but also speaking on
the occasion as well.
Though Advani had shared stage with Modi at party
functions in the past. But he never got an opportunity to speak. Modi ensured
that even if Advani shares the stage with him due to his seniority, he does not
get a chance to speak. Both hardly had cordial relationship with each other and
whenever Advani got an opportunity, he chose words unpalatable to Modi.
Therefore, after coming to power in May last year, Modi completely sidelined
Advani.
But come
Sunday and both will be together at Vigyan Bhawan function to observe “Loktantra
Raksha Diwas”. Essentially, the function is to honour all those volunteers and
leaders of the RSS and its affiliate institutions who went to jail during the
Emergency. This is the first time that a function of this scale is being organized
to falicitate those who went to jails during the Emergency under MISA. The function has been organized by Loknayak
Jaiprakash Narayan Jayanti comprising of those who fought the Emergency with
him and went to jail.
While Modi
will be the Chief Guest at the function, L K Advani and Punjab Chief Minister
Parkash Singh Badal are special guests. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley,
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkiah Naidu, former National President ABVP,
Rajkumar Bhatia, Tourism Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma, Sushil Kumar Modi and
advocate Satyapal Jain.
While a
couple of BJP ruled states have given freedom fighter status to all those who
went to jail fighting the Emergency, there is no scheme at the Central level so
far to honour them.
The function
may provide an occasion to announce a scheme at the Central level.
Ends
