Modi autocrat, Rajnath foxy: Sudheendra
PTI, NEW DELHI | 20 June 2013 10:18 IST
In a clear indication that the tussle between senior leader L K Advani and Narendra Modi is far from over, the patriarch's close aide Sudheendra Kulkarni has written an article dubbing the Gujarat Chief Minister as an "autocrat" who cares "two hoots" for the party.
In an article posted, Kulkarni- who is one of the advisers to Advani and is virtually his alter ego, has also called BJP President Rajnath Singh "foxy". He has said the BJP Chief has "astrologically-induced delusions" of becoming the Prime Minister.
Kulkarni firmly maintains in his article that despite his age, Advani, 85, has still a lot to contribute to the party and the country. He has justified Advani's opposition to Modi and said the senior leader did not go back on the criticism he had made of the BJP in his resignation letter.
"An autocrat (Modi) is sought to be enthroned, and a perfect democrat (Advani) is being marginalised and humiliated...
"...A self-centered leader who has shown that he cares two hoots for the party organisation and long-time party colleagues in his own state has suddenly become all powerful in the BJP's national scheme of things, whereas a selfless leader who toiled for many decades to build the party brick by brick is being cast aside as a useless relic," Kulkarni said.
The article was posted on the website on June 17, a day before Modi visited Advani and had a 45-minute closed door one-on-one meeting with him.
Hitting out at Singh, who went ahead with the anointment of Modi while Advani kept away from the national executive at Goa, Kulkarni said, "And a foxy party president, who has his own astrologically-induced delusions of becoming India's prime minister, has allowed himself to be prodded and dictated by vested interests to undermine Advani's position in the BJP."
Kulkarni, who was a close aide of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, also hits out at the Sangh founthead RSS, saying it "thoughtlessly weakened" Advani's position in 2005 in the wake of a "manufactured controversy" over his remarks that Pakistan founderMohammad Ali Jinnah was secular.
He warns that the "decay that has begun in the BJP" will most "certainly accelerate if Advani is further humiliated and forced either to retire or to rebel".
BJP scoffed at Kulkarni's comments. "He can have his own opinion, who cares," BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said, adding nothing was heard from Advani in this regard.
off late bjp has started acting strange. there was a boy shekhchilli. he was once carrying eggs in a basket over his head. while walking he started daydreaming. i have 10 eggs in basket. they will give 10 chicks which will be 10 hens. each will give 10 eggs. so 100 eggs and 100 hens and so on. i am going to be rich. then since he was dreamwalking he did not see the road, hit a stone and his basket fell down. all the eggs broke. thas what modi is doing. who can be pm after 2014 will be after 2014. that too on the basis who has how many MPs. Modi should stop acting like the king who went around the town naked thinking he is wearing an invisible dress. someone should tell him he is naked. first concentrate on winning election which now looks difficult for the this alliance of 4 parties. BJP, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal and MGP.