03-18-2006, 07:52 AM
BJP finalises Advani, Rajnath `yatra' details
Neena Vyas
Advani to cover 10 States over 26 days and Rajnath Singh 12 States over 24 days
# `Raths' will not cross paths, but will touch five "common States"
# Will not go through the five States going to the polls
# VHP leader Ashok Singhal criticises Advani
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has finalised the twin `yatra' plan. The `yatra' will see Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani hurtling through 10 States, covering 5,800 km, over 26 days. Party president Rajnath Singh will cover 12 States over 24 days, logging 5,000 km. While both `yatras' will start on April 6, Mr. Advani's `rath' will be flagged off from Dwarka in Gujarat and Mr. Singh's chariot from Puri in Orissa.
Details of the `yatras' â named the Rashtriya Ekatmata Yatra (National Integration Yatra) â were finalised at a meeting of the State unit president, organising secretaries and central office-bearers here on Friday.
Chaired by Mr. Singh, the party took into confidence the State units to enable them to make arrangements for the chariots to pass through their States. The two `raths' would not cross paths, but would touch five "common States."
Starting on April 6 â founder's day of the BJP as well as Ram Naumi â the journey would converge and end here on May 10, anniversary of the 1857 First War of Independence, senior party leader Venkaiah Naidu said.
While Mr. Advani would traverse Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, Mr. Rajnath Singh's journey would take him from Orissa to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.
Mr. Naidu reiterated that the `yatras' would not touch the five States going to the polls. However, the message would be political as the BJP was a political party, he said. The agenda was to create awareness among the people about the "current situation," that is focus on the Government's policies that were "soft towards terrorism' and designed to appease Muslims.
Neena Vyas
Advani to cover 10 States over 26 days and Rajnath Singh 12 States over 24 days
# `Raths' will not cross paths, but will touch five "common States"
# Will not go through the five States going to the polls
# VHP leader Ashok Singhal criticises Advani
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party has finalised the twin `yatra' plan. The `yatra' will see Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani hurtling through 10 States, covering 5,800 km, over 26 days. Party president Rajnath Singh will cover 12 States over 24 days, logging 5,000 km. While both `yatras' will start on April 6, Mr. Advani's `rath' will be flagged off from Dwarka in Gujarat and Mr. Singh's chariot from Puri in Orissa.
Details of the `yatras' â named the Rashtriya Ekatmata Yatra (National Integration Yatra) â were finalised at a meeting of the State unit president, organising secretaries and central office-bearers here on Friday.
Chaired by Mr. Singh, the party took into confidence the State units to enable them to make arrangements for the chariots to pass through their States. The two `raths' would not cross paths, but would touch five "common States."
Starting on April 6 â founder's day of the BJP as well as Ram Naumi â the journey would converge and end here on May 10, anniversary of the 1857 First War of Independence, senior party leader Venkaiah Naidu said.
While Mr. Advani would traverse Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, Mr. Rajnath Singh's journey would take him from Orissa to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.
Mr. Naidu reiterated that the `yatras' would not touch the five States going to the polls. However, the message would be political as the BJP was a political party, he said. The agenda was to create awareness among the people about the "current situation," that is focus on the Government's policies that were "soft towards terrorism' and designed to appease Muslims.