Author: Ravi Shanker Kapoor
Publication: India Right.org
Date: June 1, 2005
URL: http://www.indiaright.org/storyd.asp?id=77
It is indeed surprising that Bharatiya
Janata Party president L.K. Advani, who betrayed the Hindus and the nation
while in office for six years, can speak the truth.
Currently visiting Pakistan on the
invitation of the government, he said at a gathering, "I am one of those
whose image and the real persona are not identical" (The Indian Express,
June 1, 2005). For a change, he is correct: his image-that of an Iron Man,
of an avatar of the great Sardar Patel-has no relation with his persona.
In fact, the difference is so huge between Patel and Advani-the former
a great patriot, thinker, and nation-builder and the latter a petty politician-that
one feels that Patel should be spared of the ignominy of any comparison
with Advani.
Commenting on the excitement and
eagerness in Pakistan over his visit, Advani said, "The excitement and
eagerness may be to see whether I have horns." Surely, like other politicians
of India, he has no horns; again, like other politicians of India, he has
no morals, scruples, guts, and spine.
We publish a small speech that Advani
wanted to make in Pakistan but will never make: "Listen, guys, why do hate
me so much? What have I done to deserve this? The Babri Masjid demolition?
I have said it earlier and I repeat it once more: 'it was the saddest day
of my life'? Isn't it secular enough?
"As for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement,
I had to lead it because the then Prime Minister V.P. Singh had started
executing his diabolical plans of dividing Hindu society. He was using
the Mandal card. The guilt-ridden Hindu that I am, I did not have the courage
or the guts to taken on the Mandal demon. So, I invoke Lord Ram to slay
Mandal. At worst, the Babri demolition was the collateral damage.
"When we were in power, your government
regularly sent jihadis to India. They murdered our citizens, killed our
soldiers and butchered their families, bombed our cities, and attacked
our Parliament. Did I, as Union Home Minister and later with the elevated
rank of Deputy Prime Minister, retaliate? Did I do anything more vigorous
than strongly condemning such dastardly deeds? Forget about the rhetoric
of our party being different; just focus on our reality. Were we any different?
No.
"Your ISI was, and is, active in
our north-eastern states and in Bangladesh. Did we take any action against
it? No. I am accused of being a hawk. But did I do anything when Bangladesh
Rifles, on April 16, 2001, captured, tortured, and murdered 16 BSF personnel
and handed over their bodies in a fashion as if our soldiers were beasts
of prey? The entire nation was disgusted and sickened, but not me. I did
not want to be seen as aggressive and, as a consequence, lose Muslim votes.
So, I kept quiet. I even asked the Home Secretary to exonerate the Bangladesh
government. He told the media that the massacre of our soldiers was 'a
unilateral action by the BDR troops and Government of Bangladesh was not
aware of it.' Could the secular UPA government have done any better?
"So, please don't hate me. I am
no different from other politicians. I crave for Muslim votes, as all others
do. As for the Hindus, let them go to hell."
