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L K Advani, in a mellower mood delivering his presidential
address at the BJP National Covention in a rather defensive
has admitted the Congressisation of BJP though it has
done remarkably good in the past 25 years but was passing
through a bad patch in the past 25 weeks.
His remarks have come while BJP meets to mark its
silver jubilee under cloud with sting operations. The
sex scandal involving Sanjay Joshi, who resigned as
party General Secretary, has apparently demoralized
the party further.
The party has been going through a turmoil ever since
Advani's visit to Pakistan where he praised Mohammed
Ali Jinnah and faced trouble within.
But after a brief self analysis, Advani gunned for
Congress. Accusing the Congress of "fathering"
the culture of corruption in the country, he asserted
"we have to reverse the distressing descent of
some members into the disreputable and corrupt Congress
culture. Admittedly, their numbers are miniscule."
At the same time, he said that unless the party resolved
to stop this tendency altogether, "we will lose
our proud claim to being a party with a difference.
The BJP has a glorious past. But a magnificent future
awaits us. We must seize the moment...We cannot afford
to disappoint our one billion people."
The Convention was attended by top party leaders,
including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
and several former Union Ministers including Jaswant
Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi and Venkaiah Naidu and several
party chief ministers, including Narendra Modi of Gujarat,
who came in for praise from Advani.
He demanded the resignation of Sonia Gandhi as Chairperson
of NAC in the wake of the Iraqi oil payoffs controversy
and accused the ruling party of being "desperate
to hang" former External Affairs Minister Natwar
Singh "the mere messenger-cum-commission agent,
and portray Gandhi as squeaky-clean."
"Power corrupts, but Congress power corrupts
absolutely," he said alleging that the BJP has
always believed that the ruling party and its "dynasty"
was the fountainhead of all corruption and therefore
the Congress should be ousted from every layer of power.
"At times when Manmohan Singh puts his foot on
the accelerator, the Left parties apply brakes."
he said amid peals of laughter.
Advani was also eloquent on the Ayodhya issue. Reviving
the same issue again, The BJP chief said that the party's
"mission will not be complete till a temple befitting
Bhagwan Shri Ram is built at his place of birth."
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