Date:15/03/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/03/15/stories/2004031510571400.htm

National

India a developed country: Advani

By Our Special Correspondent

SHIMOGA, MARCH 14. The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, today took strong objection to India being bracketed with the developing countries stating that its achievements were comparable with those of the developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.

At a press conference here, Mr. Advani said the NDA Government, under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had been constantly engaged in completing its "unfinished" tasks of making India one of the fastest growing economies.

The bilateral relations between India and Pakistan were revived after Mr. Vajpayee and the Pakistan President, Pervez Mushraff, held talks. This had been followed by comprehensive Secretary-level dialogues. As a result, the tension in India-Pakistan relations had reduced.

Mr. Advani expressed happiness over the "sportsman spirit" with which the cricket matches were being played between India and Pakistan.

He said he was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response that his `Bharat Uday Yatra' had evoked so far. The yatra was primarily aimed at informing the people of the achievements of the NDA Government and instilling a sense of pride in the country's stupendous progress. "Since the yatra coincides with the elections to the Lok Sabha and the Karnataka Assembly, I have used the occasion to ask for a decisive mandate for Mr. Vajpayee and the BJP."

He said many prominent personalities had joined the BJP over the past two months in various parts of the country including Karnataka. He made a special mention of the former Chief Minister, S. Bangarappa, who joined the party early this month.

The BJP had grown significantly in the past 15 years, expanding its base both geographically and socially. "I believe that the BJP has become a socially representative party that mirrors India. We harmonise India's rich diversity with a fierce commitment to nationalism," Mr. Advani said. While the BJP was growing, the Congress by contrast was shrinking. "As a result, it has long lost its representative character and has been reduced to a crowd around one family," he added.