Advani says UPA weak, vulnerable

He said the Centre’s decision to wind up the Justice Phukan Commission was the latest example of the UPA’s ‘‘shortsighted agenda’’. It has never happened that an enquiry from a judicial commission has been taken over and given to an executive body like the CBI to harass rivals, the former deputy prime minister added.

Stating that the NDA government was successful in taking up the challenge of cross-border terrorism, Advani alleged PM Manmohan Singh had failed to take up the issue with Pakistan President Pervez Musharaf.

Alleging that the law and order situation in the country had worsened after the UPA came to power, he said: ‘‘The North-East was burning, blasts and firing were a common feature.’’

On the Veer Savarkar issue, Advani said those who have questioned the freedom fighter’s patriotism should go and see the cell in Andaman and Nicobar Islands where he spent 11 years. ‘‘The person in the forefront of the denigration campaign against Veer Savarkar was involved in raising money for the aggressors during the 1962 war with China,’’ he claimed.

Describing the NCP-Congress alliance as strange, Advani said the NCP owes its very existence to Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin. While NCP co-founder P.A. Sangma was still steadfast in his Opposition to Sonia holding any constitutional posts, Sharad Pawar had compromised, he said. ‘‘Just to become the BCCI president, he (Pawar) has done a somersault on the very basic issue on which the NCP was founded,’’ Advani said.

Reacting to Advani’s remarks, the Congress spokesperson in New Delhi said the BJP had not yet reconciled to the role of an Opposition party. On the BJP leader’s claims on Sonia, Jayanti Natarajan said it was Advani who operated like a super PM during the NDA regime.