What the regional papers are saying about the Advani-Jinnah row

His resignation from the BJP presidentship could be a political drama by L K Advani. A few things need to be considered: first, on his return, he did not give any hint to the media about his decision; second, he did not retract what he had said about Jinnah. He was fully aware of the anger in the Sangh Parivar, but yet called for a debate. So what happened to make him quit the next day? Under whose pressure did he resign?

It is well known that K S Sudarshan had said in a TV interview that Advani and Vajpayee should bow out. If Advani did not quit then, why now? He seems to have understood the reason for his party’s electoral reverses and is now trying to shed the hardliner Hindutva image. Laloo is right when he says that if Advani is serious about what he said in Pakistan, he should apologise to the nation for the Babri demolition and remove Narendra Modi from Gujarat’s chief ministership. This will be the true test of his so-called secularism.
— Siasat

BJP to blame

Advani’s remarks on Jinnah and Babri Masjid are controversial for both the majority and minority communities, as well as for secularists and Hindutva forces. But the reasons for their displeasure are different.

All his life, Advani has worked towards furthering the saffron agenda. So he must be very disturbed at the scathing attack by Parivar members. Pravin Togadia even called him a ‘‘traitor’’. But this is not the first time that Togadia has made such caustic remarks. The criminal silence of Advani and his associates on such earlier occasions has now become the principal reason for their current humiliation. Had they controlled Togadia before, they would not have faced a predicament.
— Inquilab

After Advani, who?

Before leaving for Pakistan, Advani had said his tour would strengthen Indo-Pak relations. He may have said this in the hope of improving his image in Pakistan, and in the background of the ground work done by his BJP-led NDA government. His self-confidence and service to the Parivar in the past led him to issue the statements about Jinah and Babri Masjid, which errupted into a controversy that made him resign from the BJP’s presidentship. The Sangh Parivar was anyway demanding a change of leadership. This will now lead to a fierce competition among the second rung leadership.

Narendra Modi can be a probable successor as this ‘‘Gujarat Samrat’’ is more acceptable to the Sangh Parivar than the other contenders. But as a chief minister, he has faced a lot of flak, even from within the BJP. And given his autocratic style of functioning, it won’t be possible to run a coalition government under Modi. Moreover, any BJP chief will have to be acceptable to NDA allies also.
— Munsif

Compiled by Tanvir Siddiqui

Marathi Press

Under Advani’s shadow

The appointment of a new BJP chief will not solve the crisis being faced by the Parivar. The new party president will have to live in the shadow of Advani’s latest avatar. Surprisingly, Advani has never been so emphatic on anybody else’s secular credentials than Jinnah. For him and the Sangh, Nehru and Gandhi have always been ‘pseudo secular’. But it’s a historical blunder to call the post-1940 Jinnah a secular leader.
— Loksatta

Jinnah’s victim

Jinnah has claimed yet another victim in Advani. Jinnah made all ‘Sindhuputras’ migrate to India during Partition, which was his bloodiest creation. In this context, every Indian has the right to ask Advani why he called Jinnah secular. Advani’s new-found love for Jinnah has created an unprecedented ideological chaos in his party as well as the country. This will definitely affect all — BJP, Sangh Parivar and the country.
— Saamna

Political ploy

Resigning from the party’s top post is Advani’s latest political ploy. He wants to prove to the RSS that his supremacy in BJP is unquestionable. One also needs to verify the intentions of someone who once questioned why Gandhi should be called ‘the father of the nation’ and is now insisting that Jinnah was ‘secular’.
— Sakal

Divided Parivar

Advani had two options: he could have surrendered to the might of Sangh Parivar or quit as BJP chief. And he didn’t choose the second alternative without giving it deep thought. There is no reason to believe that Advani would not have anticipated the reactions to his statement, especially from the Parivar. On the other hand, the RSS has exhibited its uncivilised manner by reacting so sharply.
— Lokmat

BJP in trouble

Advani’s resignation has made RSS chief Sudarshan’s task easier as he’s been seeking a change in the BJP leadership. The BJP’s politics is now negotiating a risky turn. To avoid a split, the BJP needs a towering leadership. One option is Vajpayee, but he remains a pale shadow of his earlier self. The RSS must allow its political offspring to maintain its own identity.
— Maharashtra Times

Compiled by Dharmendra Jore

Bengali Press

A change of image

To eulogise Jinnah was no emotional outburst, but a conscious move. Advani is bound to put on the mask of secularism if his dream of becoming the PM is to be achieved. By raising such a critical and sensitive debate he is trying to project an image of himself that would be widely acceptable.

Make no mistake that the BJP is going in for an ideological shift. It will not budge an inch from its Hindutva stand. It is merely a reflection of a shift in strategy to regain power. The whole controversy revolves around this. The people’s interest is not involved in this in any way. No conscious Indian will ever trust these hypocratic devils.
— Ganashakti

BJP’s identity crisis

Advani is trying to bring the BJP out of the Parivar’s shadow… The controversy is an indication of an identity crisis within the BJP. Whenever the party’s leadership has tried to wriggle out of the hardline Hindutva stance, it has earnd the wrath of the Sangh Parivar. Even in the last election, the reasons for the BJP debacle were largely attributed to the party’s growing distance from its Hindutva stand. Whoever takes over the mantle, the BJP has to change its policy to make it more relevant with the changing times. Advani was trying to walk a different line. But he has been stalled. The BJP has probably not been hit by such an identity crisis ever.
— Ananda Bazar Patrika

Compiled by Subrata Nagchoudhury

Gujarati Press

A welcome debate

His views on Jinnah apart, credit should go to L K Advani for sparking a debate on ‘true’ and ‘fake’ secularism. Jinnah was not a religious man and in that sense he might be secular. But it is also said that a man responsible for division of the country on the basis of religion could be anything but secular. On the other hand, Nehru and Gandhi never talked in terms of Islamic or Hindu nation and stuck to secular values. No wonder the someone asked Advani, how come Jinnah was secular and Nehru pseudo-secular?

Anyway, when Advani has apologised over Babri Masjid, there is scope for other political parties for similar introspection and self critique. Such an exercise has become imperative. Indeed, there is the need to cultivate secularism at the State’s level and respect for all faiths at the social level. It would do well to keep religion in the private domain and respect for all religions in the public domain. In the present age, no country can afford to identify with a single religion.
— Divya Bhaskar

Eye on PM chair

L K Advani’s plans are now clear: he wants to become Prime Minister by correcting his hardliner image. But in the process, he has hurt the sentiments of the Hindus who feel cheated. From his statements on Jinnah to his resignation, every single move was deliberate. Each step is part of a well planned strategy. An ambitious man like Advani cannot take any thoughtless step.

The BJP excels in capturing power on any pretext. Advani wants to replace Vajpayee as the PM candidate. ‘‘Use Hindus to capture power in States and use Muslims to come to power at the Centre’’ is his party’s mantra. Though this policy of appeasing Muslims boomeranged in the last Lok Sabha election, the BJP refuses to learn a lesson.
— Gujarat Samachar

Calculated plot

There is reason to believe that the chain of events set off by Advani’s remarks on Jinnah can be likened to a well thought out plot of a novel. His attempt to shed the hardliner image is a calculated move. It cannot be a Advani’s personal decision, rather it seems like the strategy of the party’s think tank. It is worth noting that Advani has not resigned as leader of the BJP parliamentary party. While the Sangh Parivar has already favoured paving the way for the younger generation to lead the party, Advani’s martyrdom at the altar of liberalism seems like part of his multi-pronged plans for future.

It is only natural that the Sangh Parivar is furious over Advani’s remark that Partition is an irreversible event, because it still keeps alive the concept of Akhand Bharat. Factually speaking, the BJP has already accepted the Partition. Be that as it may, Advani is not the kind of a man who would speak just anything simply because he was swayed by emotions.
— Phulchhab

Compiled by Tanvir Siddiqui

Punjabi Press

Makeover magic

Every yatra undertaken by L K Advani has a political purpose. In his lifetime, he has used religion and temples as weapons. But knowing that the era of coalition politics will continue, Advani is now making an attempt to discard his hardliner image and project himself as a leader acceptable to diverse sections. The latest Pakistan yatra should be seen in this context, as an attempt by Advani to re-invent himself.— Desh Sewak

Jinnah’s ghost

The ghost of Mohammad Ali Jinnah has raised a furore in Indian politics. The RSS has now emerged as a very dangerous force. Since many NDA allies had backed the BJP because of Vajpayee and Advani, they will have to re-think their support in case the two leaders no longer remain active in the BJP.
— Akali Patrika

Compiled by Bajinder Pal Singh