Part of Advani’s speech

Longer and more interesting part of his speech is presented in audio above

Ahmedabad, 14 January 2012

It was a time when senior BJP leader LK Advani and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi shared a stage amid speculation of rift between them as reported frequently in section of media. The occasion was 42nd anniversary of Tughlak weekly, published by Cho Ramaswamy. Advani in this Chennai function requested Cho to allow him to speak before Mr. Modi citing timing of flight as reason.

In his speech Advani openly admired Modi, but stayed away from reacting to Cho’s appeal to give highest place in the BJP to Modi, by bringing him to national political arena.

Advani in his speech said, “I feel very proud today that we have a state like Gujarat, and we have a Chief Minister like Narendra Modi, who is a model for all really. I remember that it was last year when in a press conference a similar question was asked to me that, ‘don’t you feel that your chief minister of Gujarat, the state which you represent in Lok Sabha, has become bigger than the party?’ And my answer to that lady correspondent was that, we know in every family, in which very often the younger shows greater talent than the elders, the latter don’t think that the younger one has become bigger than the family, he-the elder feels proud about it, that a younger member of the family is able to acquit himself in a manner as to make ordinary people think that, even his father or elder brother don’t have such talent. These are the things that make whole family proud, even the elders proud.”

On possible alliance with Jayalalitha in national politics, Shri Advani said, “There are journalists who know that kite flying has very curious meaning. And today when they see that Narendrabhai and LK Advani are here in Tughlak function in a state ruled by Jayalalitha, kite flying will have so many stories circulating. I would not mind that kind of kite flying even if it is imaginary. Because when I was listening to Tamil speech of Cho and translation described to me by Gurumurthy, I felt he had left nothing to imagination.”

Advani said he observes the proceeding in parliament very closely and added that, “when I think in terms of the political parties that would associate with us, and cooperate with us, in respect of reality that we happen to be the principal opposition against the present government, among the parties that are continuously cooperating with us, helping out in all respect, it is not the part of NDA but the kind of cooperation and assistance we have received under the leadership of Jayalalithaji has been total.There has been no reservation of any kind.”

Advani further said, “Even in my 40 days yatra that I undertook in October and November when I reached Tamil Nadu, which I started from Madurai and from where my rath went to Kerala, in Madurai, I got information that the bridge over which the rath was to pass had bomb with 7 kg of RDX. The people there who saw in the morning reported this to local AIDMK office bearer who went and inform the police, and then bomb was removed and our colleagues were informed and advised to change the route. When I rang up the Chief Minister to thank her for what the police had done, her one sentence touched my heart was ‘I would not have been able to forgive myself if anything had happened’. I would today again like to express my deep gratitude to her that her party colleague and her police for having averted this kind of incidence. That’s the end to kite flying.”

In respect of Jayalalitha, Advani further said, “It’s not merely this kind of cooperation that makes me feel that Jayaji, AIDMK have been functioning as natural allies of my party. There are so many things common, but the biggest thing common is, that a crucial factor for all state governments. And a crucial factor which depends on the conduct of the central government is the question of centre-state relations. And which is something which those who have been following various judgement in respect of Indian nationalism, Indian state, they would know that there have been judgements that say that the parliament of India can amend any provision of the constitution except those that are basic to India’s structure. And those basic and fundamental expects that the parliament can not change with 2/3rd majority. It is federalism, that the central govt can not overwrite the powers and authority of the state government.”

“Strength of the country lies not only in the central govt must be strong but the state government also must be strong. You can have a strong central government with weak state governments. Somehow those who have ruled the centre, because they have ruled for 40-45 years without check and balance. The Congress party not only ruled the centre but even in states, most of the states. And as a result of that federalism was weakened. But gradually the state govts were governed by regional parties. They lost Tamil Nadu, similarly in other states. One by one in states things started changing,” Advani added.

Advani also read parts of Jayalalitha’s speech at the National Development Council meeting accusing centre of limiting the states as glorified Municipal Corporations. Advani read Jaya’s speech, “I am not sure that the government of India recognizes the states as partners, leave alone equal partners. This meeting are ritualistic, and central is penalising non-Congress governments,” Advani compared this with Modi’s speech at the party meeting in Lucknow to make a point that Jaya and BJP think alike when it comes to present Congress ruled central government.