Advani yatra: Guj Congress workers detained to prevent untoward incidents

BJP's senior leader LK Advani's Jan Chetna Yatra was given a grand welcome upon its arrival in Gujarat on Sunday morning.

The yatra was welcomed by chief minister Narendra Modi amidst showering of flower petals from a helicopter, even as Advani questioned Congress president Sonia Gandhi's silence over the issues of corruption and black money.

The rath, carrying Advani and other BJP leaders, entered Gujarat from Daman at around 10.45 am. Modi, who reached Vapi just a few minutes earlier in a helicopter, greeted Advani, and welcomed the yatra in the state, amidst beating of dhols and playing of bands.

Hundreds of women and girls, dressed in similar clothes, had lined up along the roads in Vapi to welcome the yatra. Huge crowds had also gathered at several places to greet the anti-corruption yatra. The yatra was also welcomed at many places along its route.  Later, addressing a public meeting in Vapi, the chief minister came down heavily on the Congress saying the party was synonymous with corruption.

"Corruption has been the identity of Congress since the times of Jawaharlal Nehru. Unfortunately, people were unable to raise voice against corruption earlier. But, Gujarat decided against tolerating it and raised voice against corruption," Modi said.
The CM said that anyone who raises voice against corruption is labelled as having links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He said that the agitations undertaken by Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and LK Advani were aimed at eradicating corruption.

Modi said that the BJP was demanding steps to bring back the black money stashed away in foreign banks, but Congress wasn't keen on doing so. He also alleged that many Congress leaders had put away ill-gotten wealth in foreign banks.

The former deputy prime minister, who is on his sixth Rath Yatra, said that the corruption scandals in the last two years had tarnished the whole country's image.

"Not just the prime minister or Sonia Gandhi, the corruption episodes have damaged the entire country's reputation," he said. Advani said that he held Dr Manmohan Singh in high esteem before, but the cash-for-vote scam had dented his image.

Advani also said it was unfortunate that instead of the prime minister, it was Congress president Sonia Gandhi who had the last word in the UPA government's functioning. He also attacked the UPA chairperson for her silence on the burning issues of corruption and black money.

The MP from Gandhinagar praised the leadership of CM Narendra Modi for providing su-shasan and su-rajya in Gujarat. He also attacked the UPA government for jailing BJP MPs in the cash-for-vote scam, saying that they had only played the role of whistleblowers. After Vapi, the yatra proceeded towards Valsad and later Navsari. A large number of Congress leaders and workers, who planned to protest against the yatra, were taken into preventive custody in Valsad and Navsari.

After Advani announced the nation-wide yatra, which took his party by surprise, Modi announced his own three-day 'sadbhavna' fast which observers had seen as a counter to Advani's plan. Still Advani went to Ahmedabad to express his solidarity with Modi in his fast. However, Modi did not attend the BJP National Executive meeting in Delhi and the reason touted was that he was upset over induction of his betenoire Sanjay Joshi into the Executive by party President Nitin Gadkari. Advani also raked up the name of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, with whom Modi does not share a good relationship.