Selling stability, PM urges: don’t scatter votes, give us 272

‘‘The question is of a majority,’’ he asserted. ‘‘You must give us 272 members in the Lok Sabha polls. Don’t do this—giving us some, giving others some. It is a matter of the country’s future. It is not charnamrit or katha-prasad. How will the country progress if the prime minister changes every six months?’’

He was apparently referring to the six-month terms of Samajwadi Party leader and UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is one of the contenders for the prime minister’s chair. The rally was part of Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani’s Bharat Uday Yatra but it was Vajpayee’s show throughout. While most of the state party leaders were present, Union HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi was conspicuous by his absence. Heaping praise on Advani, Vajpayee said he would not have become PM had Advani not wished so. The crowds gathered at Ambedkar Park, under a sweltering sun, shouted slogans for Vajpayee and blew conches every time his name was mentioned. In contrast, Advani was clearly fatigued.

Talking about mudslinging in ads, Vajpayee referred to the one pointing a finger at his role in the freedom struggle. ‘‘Taunts are being hurled over people’s participation in the freedom movement. There are many who were not even born when the country became free. Don’t they have a right to serve the country?’’ he said.

‘‘A rumour is being spread against me that when the 1942 movement was on, I was arrested and released,’’ Vajpayee added. ‘‘Since I was arrested and released, it is made out that I was with the British…I was a high school student at Gwalior.’’ He said he was arrested at the village too but was ‘‘not involved in the movement’’.

‘‘Gavahi nahin di, mukhbiri nahin ki, chugalkhori nahin ki, na hi kisi ka bura kiya (I didn’t give evidence against any one, nor acted as an informer, nor tattled, nor did I do any wrong to anyone),’’ he said. ‘‘Had I done so, I would not have been alive today. I would not have been in front of you today…There should be a limit to character assassination. There should be a limit to win polls. A campaign lasts a few days. Life is long. Therefore, go and ponder over it.’’

Talking about the constant speculation over the relationship between him and the DPM, Vajpayee said: ‘‘Advani and I hugged each other, journalists said Atal and Advani are again embracing each other…They said we had differences. Had Advaniji not wanted, I would not have been PM. We have been working together for 50 years. The Opposition cannot understand this unity. Therefore it is spreading canards about differences.’’

Advani carried on the attack, accusing the Congress of pulling the plug on governments at will. He said the Congress had not allowed Charan Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral to continue in office, by withdrawing support time and again.

Among those who shared the dais with Vajpayee and Advani were BJP leaders Kalyan Singh, Rajnath Singh, Kalraj Mishra, Vinay Katiyar and Lalji Tandon.