Narendra Modi welcomes LK Advani

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi arranged a grand welcome for the anti-graft Jan Chetana Yatra of party colleague and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani, who blamed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for corruption.

Flower petals dropped from a helicopter welcomed Advani as his yatra entered the BJP-ruled state from Vapi, around 400 km from here.

Addressing a rally in Vapi, Advani attacked the prime minister and said, "I have said this earlier as well, when he was not the prime minister I respected him...I used to consider him capable."

But he resorted to cheating to win the election (trust vote) in 2008. He tried to bribe three of our MPs, said Advani, who represents Gandhinagar in the Lok Sabha.

"I don't think anyone can forgive him after that," he said.

He praised the people of the state for their entrepreneurship. “Development is in their nature, that is not there in other regions.”

Advani said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar always praised the development in Gujarat.

Modi also blamed the Congress for corruption in the country.

"Wherever there is voice of corruption, it is always against the Congress. The two have become synonymous. (Former prime minister) Rajiv Gandhi might have won with a thumping majority, but one Bofors (gun deal kickbacks) scam had thrown him off power," Modi said.

"But, Gujarat will not tolerate corruption. The nation, too, will not tolerate it. Gujarat has been the first to raise voice against corruption and that was against the Chimanbhai Patel regime of the Congress," he said.

During the rally, Advani sat on one of the two grand chairs placed in the centre of the stage. The other chair was occupied by state party chief RC Faldu. Modi sat on a sofa away from the chairs.