By IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 28 June 2015: Within 10 days of asserting that Emergency may return as anti-democracy forces are stronger today, LK Advani, the patriarch of Bharatiya Janata Party, has called for maintaining probity in public life in a reference to the Lalit-Sushma-Vasundhara controversy. However, he refused to make any direct comment on the issue saying “I am not in the decision making and so I have no comments to offer in the matter.” His comment could be seen as a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who despite having all powers to take decisions, has maintained silence over the controversy. Advani’s Emergency comment was also seen as a harsh comment on the working style of Modi who after assuming the highest office of the country in May last year, sidelined all senior leaders of the party including Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.
The opposition backed by favourable investigative media reports has been demanding resignation of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for allegedly helping former IPL chief Lalit Modi who fled India four years ago after money laundering charges surfaced against him.
“For a politician, to command people’s trust is the biggest responsibility. What morality demands that is ‘rajdharma’ and need to maintain probity in public life,” Advani was quoted as having told the Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika.
Advani did not want to comment on the controversy involving Swaraj and Raje.
“I am far away from all this. So I don’t have anything to comment. I am not in the decision making and so I have no comments to offer in the matter,” he added but recalled how he resigned soon after his name cropped up in the Hawala scam in 1996.
