Lasting Rose

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If L K Advani of the Indian political opposition BJP has done any favour to the ruling UPA alliance, it was his consistent attack of Dr Manmohan Singh, depicting him as a weak Prime Minister. Advani's strategy however backfired in the last election, because a lot of Indian's didn't buy his insinuation.

Many have seen Mr Advani as a divisive figure who exploited Hindu-Muslim tensions

Now , L K Advani has proved, by his recent political flip flops, how he himself could be the weakest Prime Minister India can have, if he is ever elected, reminding everyone of his inherent lack of character and moral strength.

After all no one has forgotten how, Advani, as Indian Home Minister had sent back terrorists in Indian prison to Pakistan, succumbing to a terrorist highjack of an Indian flight.

Despite all that, in a way, L K Advani might have transformed himself to be the saviour of secular India by his obstructive politics, fully aware and conscious of the ultimate repercussions of his political moves, first by ostensibly skipping the Goa conclave of his party and then by resigning from key positions.

Omar Abdullah: "If his opinion didn't matter to you yesterday why is his resignation a crisis for you today?"

The recent political drama enacted by Advani and his party men, who first ignored him by huddling up in Goa without him and falling at his feet next day, has exposed their moral and intellectual bankruptcy.

By ostensibly declaring the elevation of UP Chief Minister to a campaign position which has never existed in Indian Politics with great hoopla, the BJP has chosen Narendra Modi  as the next Prime Minister of India, if elected to power.

Despite pretences to be otherwise, even novices in politics can see through the ploy of BJP. However they wrongly assume Modi is India a la fashion "Indira is India" clamour of the era of Prime minister Indira Gandhi.


By failing to recognise the looming danger of fascism cloaked in the religious movement of Hindutwa, the BJP leaders have shown themselves to be a lot without real moral strength.

Many have seen Mr Advani as a divisive figure who exploited Hindu-Muslim tensions, remembering him for the campaign he led to have a Hindu temple built on the site of a destroyed mosque in the ancient northern city of Ayodhya.

In many ways, Mr Advani and Mr Modi, leader and follower-turned-adversaries, mirror each other: both are hard line and polarising leaders of their own generations. Only now, one appears to be ranged against the other, and at stake is the future of the BJP.

They have all, including L K Advani, succumbed to the power of Hindutwa, loaded out in votes by its owner and disposer RSS, a political set up disguised as a religious body, to which each of them has politically mortgaged their integrity and independence.

Though ostensibly the clamour is against Narendra Modi, who can't recognise the damage he does to himself and the Indian political balance by his demeanour and pronouncements, the real villain and danger is the agenda of RSS.

In fact, by creating several hurdles to prevent the investiture of Narendra Modi as secular India's prime minister by RSS, albeit to leave another chance for himself to usurp the position, Advani has, at least for now saved India from the turmoil of a few fascist years and bloodshed that is bound to ensue.