There is nothing more revealing in politics than a old, doddering politician who buries his head in the sand and tries to gauge the prevailing wind of public opinion. And so it is with the “former future prime minister of India“, Lalchand Kishinchand Advani who has announced what many are derisively calling his “Antim Yatra“.
At one level, Advani’s impromptu announcement of a nationwide tour at the age of 84 is proof that the flame of ambition has flickered feverishly despite the renunciation of key posts (like leader of opposition and party president) at the less-than-gentle nudging of the extra-constitutional knicker lobby that really wears the pants in the BJP.
At another level, the “Antim Yatra” is proof that the BJP is now officially bereft of both ideas and leadership. That it took the success of Anna Hazare‘s campaign for the lead opposition party to take up corruption as an issue reveals plenty about what it has been doing these past two and a half years since the 2009 electoral defeat.
And that the BJP leadership thinks that it has the credibility to talk about corruption, when its own governments and leaders in Karnataka, Gujarat, Uttaranchal and Chhatisgarh are battling (or stalling investigation of) serious charges of corruption shows the hypocrisy of it all.
Above all, Advani’s announcement of a yatra throws cold water on the aspirations of almost the entire second generation of leaders in the BJP, all of whom privately envision themselves as national leaders and almost all of whom entertain dreams of becoming prime minister.
Questions: Will Advani’s “Antim Yatra” evoke any response? Is Advani’s “Antim Yatra” merely to save his skin now that the reprehensible cash-for-votes scandal has landed squarely in his court? Notwithstanding the Congress’s plight, does the BJP have the credibility to talk of clean, corruption-free governance? Will Advani be acceptable as the face of the BJP in 2014, when he will be 86?
Also read: ‘The only person to blame for BJP defeat is Advani
‘The man who spread the dragon-seeds of hatred’
‘Advani offers nothing creative, only resentment
The Great Debator ducks out of a TV interview
A lifetime achievement award for L.K. Advani?
churumuri 
Churumuri – your heading, I think is sadistic – stooping to lowest levels of journalism
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Just a reminder – it is not only the old politicians who seem to be burying their head int he sand, the young are doing that too.
In fact, the so called “young turks” are complete effete and cut of from the people.
At least the old man is trying to take out a rath yatra “In India.” They young ones are only interested in taking out a plane yatra to Europe or USA.
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Antim yatra or penultim yatra, is Advani’s road show going to pass through Bellary to salute the corruption of the Reddy Brothers, or Shimoga to salute the corruption of B.S. Yeddyurappa? And will it go through the hometowns of the leading lights of the BJP such as Hartaalu Halappa and Renukacharya, Somanna and Krishnaiah Shetty all of whom have shown just what the BJP is capable of?
Advani and BJP have absolutely no right whatsoever to talk of corruption given the party’s abysmal showing in Karnataka. And they have no right to talk of good governance having come to power on the greatest corruption of the people’s mandate which was buying up newly-elected MLAs through “Operation Kamala”.
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Well-said PRS!
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@NS Rao, I agree. I am shocked to see the title of the current post. I am not a supporter or opponent of any political party, my political affiliations are completely issue based, and yet I am shocked to see the word “antim” in the title.
Journalists are not God, they should not be using words like “Antim yatra.”
What if this dear old man were to outlive many of our hot-shot, virile and very young journalists! Let know one be inordinately proud or confident of his own youth. The young can die before the old -strange are the ways of destiny. No one knows when the time comes for whose antim yatra.
Leadership has nothing to do with age. Look at the way a young president (Obama) has messed up in America.
Some of the young princes in Indian politics are proving completely ineffective. They prefer to spend all the time in Europe of USA and come to India for few photo-ops.
Anna Hazare is also a old man, but he has proved to be younger than many of the lazy and insipid young princes of Indian politics.
At least, this old man (Shri Advani) has stayed put in India. He is not taking out a rath yatra to USA or Europe. He will pass through Indian villages and towns.
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It is in bad taste by any standard. But you have good company in Santhosh Hegde who said that Mr. Mamohan Singh cannot hear because his ears are covered by his Turban! If You have any decency change the Title .
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It is not Advani’s Antim Yatra. It is BJP’s Antim Yatra. Foot in mouth expert Gadkari has publicly stated that BJP is ready to work under Anna.
That means BJP is on the verge of being extinct. It no longer has any identity of its own.
From now on, it is Anna vs UPA. Anna is the main opposition to the govt.
Advani himself has announced in Parliament that he is nothing but a sting operator. At the fag end of his career he has resorted to desperate sting operations to become PM. He ordered his MPs to go into the cattle market and sell themselves to Amar Singh’s chamchas. They were asked to solicit cash – like you know who else does it on the streets in the night.
The same sting operation by Tehelka was condemned in the strongest words possible and today Advani himself has admitted he is a sting operator!~
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sad to see such a tasteless, unsettling headline.
also sad to see such an utterly distracting/irrelevant question.
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My, my. Such piety and sanctimony about an utterly dangerous and divisive politician, whose horrendous yatras have sent hundreds of innocent Indians on their antim yatras to satisfy the BJP’s electoral bloodlust over the years.
If this is not old Lalchand’s final yatra, BJP supporters sure have some strange visions of his longevity.
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@simple. Yeah we have heard this before. If Tehelka runs sting operations it is holy you see.
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Not simply tasteless on the part of Churumuri, but also gutless. LKA is a true patriot, which is why he is announcing a yatra against corruption. The young princes of the Congress and its clonal al-Lies – DMK, JD, SP, etc., are all corrupt to the hilt – Sandip Dixit, Milind Deora, Stalin, Kanimozhi, HDK etc. Not to mention the biggest croks of them all Robert Vadra and Rahul Gandhi. But since these crooks take foreign yatras, it is small beer criticising LKA. Such poor taste. But to be expected from flunkies of the Congress.
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I like the title. Let us hope that this antim yatra does not spill blood.
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Kaangeya,
LKA is a true patriot who runs to Pakistan and praises Jinnah to the skies. Robert Vadra and Rahul Gandhi are crooks? Where is the proof? Without proof one can say the entire leadership of BJP from Sushma to Gadkari to Advani are crooks.
In fact Reddy Saar is singing in Hyderabad jail. he is spilling the beans on everybody. A report in Bangalore Mirror says that he is ready to expose Gadkari, Venkaih Naidu, Sushma and Jaitely.
So much for the party with a difference. Everybody in the top are caught with the hands in the till.
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If BJP has no alternative for Advani then it reflects the poor bench strength of the party. Like Indian cricket team they also are struggling to find replacement for veterans. BJP seems to take its role “literally” – opposition party doesn’t mean oppose the running of parliament. Congress is scoring self goals one after the other and if BJP doesn’t capitalize on this now they might as well dissolve the party.
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The inherent hate of secularists towards all things hindutva has manifested itself in the present article. Nothing new in it. I only wonder to what depth these people can fall!!!….
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Matter of record : Moraji Desai was 86 when he became the PM
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Despite the tons of solid proof and documents, instead of getting dragged to the jail while all the illegal assets are seized, the most corrupt Yeddyurappa and clan are still the mascot of the BJP! In fact, he is now the lead star, campaigning for the BJP in the state’s koppal by-election.
Advani may try to ride piggy-back on the complete disappointment and hatred of politicians in the court but the old man will always be well remembered for proudly praising Jinnah and Pakistan.
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Now, BJP Chief Minister of Uttarkhand Ramesh is being sacked on charges of Corruption. Next will be Chattisgarsh and Madhya Pradesh CM for massive coal scams.
This after CM of Karnataka, and half a dozen other ministers in Karnataka were sacked on corruption charges.
This man still wants to go an a anti corruption yatra?
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yatra advani khud ke liye karege????????? BJP ME SE ESTHIFA DENEKE BAAD RATHYATRA KARNI CHAHIYE.KYA RIGHT ME NARENDRA MODI, LAFT ME YEDURAPPA,BAGAL ME UMA BHARTI, MOOH ,ME RAM,DIL ME VADA PARADHAN KI KHURSHI OR FOOL VARSHA KARENGE SUSHMA,JETLI,RAJNATH,YE RATH YATRA…….JINNAH KI KABAR SE VAYA POK KASHMIR SE LEKE KARNATAKA,GUJARAT SE LEKE MP TAK KARNI CHAHIYE.
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Some things die hard in older gents: passionate desire for a female body for example. Another flaming desire in old netas is the desire for power. Advani had never hidden the second type of desire with a specific end: Prime Minister’s chair to warm his insatiable rock bottom plan. There is no doubt that he is wanting to take advantage of the discomfiture of the congress at the battle it lost at Ramlila Maidan. He is mistaken if he thinks that the people at the Hastings would mistake him for Anna Hazare. Fat luck old man. If the people who followed were disillusioned by the ruling parties, they were also equally disillusioned with BJP and LKAdvani and their ilk. Many have not forgotten the immense flood of communal frenzy initiated by LK Advani by bringing down Babri Masjit. If LK Advani had authorized the sting operation of Cash-for-votes, why didn’t he do it in a way acceptable to the people. Why did he and his party men desecrate the temple of democracy? Why did he not own up the responsibility earlier. Why did he permit his men to vote for saving the UPA I? Old goats had succeeded to be prime ministers in India taking advantage of the weaknesses of democracy. I think the people are more than aware of their duty not to let another old goat to usurp democracy. Rath Yatra will not bring people to Ram Lila Maidan, nor to the Parliament, for sure.
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Whoa.. antim yaatra??? Hold on folks, dont jump the gun.
And as regards the usual whine of Congress supporters, I sincerely pity them. Koopa Mandookagalu. Be it Soniya’s aliyana or magana corruption, things will come out only when a suitable investigation is conducted. Forget about anything else, if a letter of rogatory is issued to Italian Government, we will now the antecedents of Saint herself. But this letter has to be issued by the government and as long as Congress is in power, how will it issue the letter?
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As usual “Zero-Proof” Simple is at it again:)
Tasteless headline!
Actually UPA should be happy about OddVani’s Rathyatra. IMHO
OddVani = UPA 3
QED.
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The headline and part of the article are in poor taste. However, I am not sure how effective a Rath Yatra would be. It seems more like a move to stay relevant and would serve very little political purpose. The yatra form of bringing awareness about issues to the people is past its sell by date. The opposition parties are well justified in highlighting the negatives of the ruling party irrespective of their own failings. That is part of a vibrant democracy but using outdated means of doing this could prove ineffective in spreading the message.
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this is just a ‘typo’.
This should have been Anti-M yatra(Anti Madam and AntiMMS)
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I think Shakespeare had this guy in mind when he spoke about “vaulting ambition” :D Let’s hope it doesn’t o’erleap itself.
Advani is welcome to his yatras, but for once, one can’t help wishing that there was someone in the flock who would get down to brass tacks instead of merely whipping up froth.
See, vaulting ambition must have pluck, otherwise it will only remain an old fogey’s cantankerous egotism.
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The reprehensible cash-for-votes scandal indeed. Have you no shame? You equate the showing of money in Parliament with buying the MPs to save the Congress? You see nothing reprehensible in it? Have you no sense of shame? I am no fan of BJP and think Advani is making a fool of himself and hampering his party’s chances with this so-called yatra, but even then your hatred for BJP is far more reprehensible that does not even let you see things with any sense of proportion. It is because of people like you that BJP gets more and more acceptability.
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Your heading is not decent. You are most uncharitable.
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Merits of the yatra apart, the title is in very bad taste. It expresses extreme hatred towards the person. Surprising to know that Churumuri indulges in such unworthy things!
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@Simple, Talk to people and know more about the fixer called Robert Vadra. Ever pondered about the mysterious circumstances in which his father, brother and sister have died?
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Dmanair and Doddi Buddi,
Stop spreading rumours. Zilch proof.
It is easy to start spreading rumours like you do. For example:
1. BSY’s wife died under mysterious circumstances too. So what does this prove?
2.Praveen Mahajan Killed Pramod Mahajan under whose orders in the BJP? Pramod was seen as a threat by ambitious second rung leaders – so does that mean anything?
3. The primary detractor of Modi, Mr. Hiten Pandya in Gujarat was murdered – so it is easy to come to conclusions is it?
4. Shehla Masood was killed after she exposed top politicians and officials of Madhya Pradesh BJP govt. So under whose orders was she killed?
You can bring out several conspiracy theories – the thing is to prove them. You guys are masters in maligning congress – and congress poor guys just take it, without giving you back in the same coin.
This blog is about BJP’s Antim Yatra. So stick to the issue, not throw unsubstantiated dung at Congress
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Doddi Buddi, dmanair,
If Jagan Mohan Reddy or Robert Vadra became the fastest billionaires in the country, it is because of their business acumen and not family connections. Simply believe and trust them as our friend Simple does.
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The title is extremely bad in taste and not appropriate for the blog run by a person of your stature. Though I may not agree with many of the articles, I used to enjoy for the contents. But this is the height of intolerance and extremely bad in taste. Our culture do not wish death (Antim yatra) even to our enemies.
This happens to be my first comments and last of the visit to the site.
God Bless you all
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the Yatra never ends? :D
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The article is highly partial and derogatory. Also, it is in bad taste and only achieves in publishing the authors political lineation!
In today’s national parties, when everybody is reeling under corruption, only one man stands tall; he is the only person who is honest even after 50 years of political life – and this is L.K.Advani.
So, who else is more eligible than him to wage a war on corruption.
Advani has nowhere told that this is for foisting him as future PM – that is all imaginations of his political detractors.
If anybody is apposing this yatra, that only shows that they are supporting corruption!
@Simple: I have seen comments from you in many other posts.
Even after so many scandals and corruption of humongous proportions, if somebody is still supporting UPA, then we can safely assume that this person is also corrupt to the core. You are one such person and we don’t expect you to support any anti-corruption yatra!
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