Uday Yatra more shining than Rath Yatra: DPM

At Bichhiwara, charging the Congress with having no understanding of the country, Advani said: ‘‘How can a party that has no understanding of the vast country ensure its development.’’

‘‘There is a lot of difference between the present Congress and the party that existed during the Independence movement. The Congress of Jawahar Lal Nehru and Vallabh Bhai Patel was the party of people of simple living but the present Congress is the party of people living luxurious lives who have made it the personal organisation of an individual,’’ he said.

On the other hand, the NDA, headed by Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee, has the will to do good work under an able leadership and that is why it has been able to change the complexion of the country, he said.

Advani would be in the state for three days and would cover 11 Parliamentary constituencies before moving on to Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier, at Himmatnagar in Gujarat, Advani said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s message that he would not be a party to the peace process with India if there is no forward movement on the Kashmir issue is due to ‘‘domestic compulsions’’.

‘‘I think Musharraf’s statement stems out of domestic compulsions but so long as he sticks to a course decided at the secretary-level meeting, there should be no problem,’’ he told mediapersons.

Hoping that differences between the two nations would be resolved through dialogue, Advani said the joint statement signed by Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and Musharraf in Islamabad was a landmark event. At the meetings between the joint secretaries and foreign secretaries of the two countries it was decided on how to proceed for a dialogue, he said. ‘‘We should pursue the same direction,’’ he added.

Asked whether Pakistan’s message is because of the recently-acquired ‘‘major non-NATO ally’’ status from the US, Advani said: ‘‘We are concerned about it. We reacted strongly after it was done.’’