The Hindu : 'Strong like a diamond, soft like a flower'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 21, 2003

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'Strong like a diamond, soft like a flower'

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI JUNE 20. The Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, today spoke in glowing terms of the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee: "As strong as a diamond when firmness is demanded but also soft as a flower.''

Addressing the concluding session of the Bharatiya Janata Party's `chintan baithak' at Manthan near here, Mr. Advani used a Sanskrit expression — vajradapi kathorani, mruduni kusumadapi — and said it was best illustrated by Mr. Vajpayee's Pakistan policy.

"It is not a coincidence that around the time the Prime Minister launched his latest peace initiative with Pakistan, the Government also mounted the highly successful Operation Sarp Vinash against terrorists'' from across the border.

Mr. Advani apparently chose to return the compliments paid to him by Mr. Vajpayee at the start of the conclave. Mr. Vajpayee had then spoken of how supportive Mr. Advani was in running the Government and the party. The BJP's "greatest strength,'' Mr. Advani asserted, "was that we have a great leader but have continued to remain wedded to our principle of collective deliberation and decision-making.''

Like Mr. Vajpayee did, Mr. Advani also complimented the BJP chief, Venkaiah Naidu, for "dynamism and decisiveness'' imparted to the party. Now there was a "new wave of self-confidence in the party'' and the "coordination has substantially improved between the party and the Government'' during Mr. Naidu's tenure.The party was on the threshold of "a renewed mandate on the basis of stability, national security, development and good governance."

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