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'What is Advani sad about?'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JAN. 12. Not once, but at least twice, the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, has said that the Gujarat happenings had made him sad and ashamed, that they were an aberration. But can he explain and clarify what exactly he was sad about?

The Congress spokesperson, Jaipal Reddy, raised the question today, pointing out that during a visit to London and, more recently, at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Mr. Advani had talked about being sad and ashamed in relation to the Gujarat happenings last year.

"Was Mr. Advani referring to the one-sided rioting that occurred for months (in Gujarat)... was he referring to the political hand or the state apparatus that was complicit in the massacres and assaults that took place? Or was he referring to the punishment postings that the (Narendra) Modi Government (in Gujarat) gave to honest police officers ... or was he talking about the nakedly communal campaign that Mr. Modi conducted (during the elections)?"

Posing these questions in a statement to the press here today, Mr. Reddy wanted to know whether the BJP and Mr. Modi were really sad and ashamed that how could the party leaders talk about "replication of the Gujarat formula'' in other parts of the country.

Describing Mr. Advani as "Janus-faced", saying one thing to foreigners and non-resident Indians and another to Indians living in India, he said: "Mr. Advani may be clever but he is underestimating the intelligence of our countrymen."

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