NEW DELHI, 29 May 2004 — BJP hawk Lal Krishna Advani yesterday admitted that his party’s two election slogans — “feel good” and “India shining” — proved counterproductive. They cost us dearly,” the former deputy prime minister told reporters.
He also admitted that the Bharatiya Janata Party could not muster the mandate of the people and that the party had “failed to make development and good governance national issues.”
Advani said his party would act as a “constructive opposition”. “We admitted the verdict on May 13 even when all the results were not out and had decided to act as constructive opposition,” he said.
Advani hoped the setback to the BJP was temporary and said he had full confidence in the party bouncing back.
He said the BJP would continue to pursue a pro-Hindu agenda though it did not favor India becoming a Hindu theocratic state.
Advani shrugged off views that the BJP lost because it tried too hard to woo Muslims and sidelined “Hindutva” or Hindu-ness.
“We remain firm and unapologetic about our espousal of Hindutva... Hindutva is the basic identity of India,” he said. But he said its philosophy had been narrowly interpreted.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav yesterday alleged that Advani had lied in his sworn statement before the Election Commission while seeking re-election from Gandhinagar.
Laloo quoted Advani’s affidavit as saying the BJP leader graduated in law from Bombay University in 1942. The same affidavit also said that he finished school from St. Patrick’s High School in Karachi in 1947. Laloo said Advani’s affidavit was posted on a website.
The minister said he would consult lawyers before taking any action.
