Recently Prime Minister Modi, shared a photo of him with LK Advani announcing Bharat Ratna Award to be conferred to LK Advani. This news created a sense of joy among Advani supporters. Read the tweet shared by Mr. Narendra Modi
I am very happy to share that Shri LK Advani Ji will be conferred the Bharat Ratna. I also spoke to him and congratulated him on being conferred this honour. One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister. He distinguished himself as our Home Minister and I&B Minister as well. His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights.
Narendra Modi
Also Read: Views expressed by BJP leader, Kulwant Singh Bunty from Jamshedpur
The Political Journey of LK Advani:
Born in Sindh province (now in Pakistan) on November 8, 1927, Lal Krishna Advani gave his life to the country at an early age. At the age of 14, he became a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Advani persevered through hardships during India’s independence and rose to become an RSS pracharak in Rajasthan.
As president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a considerable amount of time following its founding in 1980, Advani was instrumental in forming the party. He served as an MP for thirty years before being appointed as Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s cabinet’s home minister and deputy prime minister (1999–2004).
Political Achievement and the Nationalism:
Advani, who was well-known for his intelligence, played a key role in making the BJP a national political force. His leadership was demonstrated by the party’s ascent from winning two seats in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections to 86 seats. When the BJP became the party with the most seats by 1996, Indian politics underwent a revolutionary change.
Throughout his political career, Advani’s dedication to nationalism and adaptability in meeting the needs of the country were unmistakable. Both his contemporaries and his followers respected him for his commitment to the vision of a powerful and affluent India.
Yatra of Ram Rath and the Ayodhya Movement:
Advani’s involvement in the 1990s campaign to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya was one of the turning points in his political career. He coordinated the ‘Ram Rath Yatra,’ a 10,000-kilometer trek from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya, while serving as the BJP’s chairman. The yatra was intended to construct the Ram temple and carry out kar seva at the contentious location.
But the yatra resulted in widespread violence, and Advani’s chariot had difficulties getting to Ayodhya. His supporters made it to Ayodhya despite his arrest in Bihar, and the unlawful demolition of the Babri Masjid marked the beginning of the tragic events of December 6, 1992.
Advani’s Admission of Mistake:
Subsequently, Advani came clean about his mistake in demolishing the Babri Mosque, calling it a grave error in judgment. His admission complicated his political legacy further, especially in light of revelations from the Liberhan Commission report that held Advani personally accountable for his part in the demolition.
Controversies Surrounding Advani:
Advani came under fire for supposedly inciting the kar sevaks when the Babri was being demolished. According to reports, he was present when the decision to destroy the mosque was made in secret. Advani and other BJP leaders were blamed by the Liberhan Commission for their inability to stop the Babri Mosque from being destroyed.
LK Adavni was charged with conspiracy behind the demolition of Babri Masjid. Along with Advani cases were filed on Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti. The case was in court for years.
The other defendants in the case, in addition to the BJP leaders, are the fiery Hindutva activist Sadhvi Rithambara, the VHP’s Vishnu Hari Dalmiya and Ram Vilas Vedanti, Satish Pradhan, the leader of the Shiv Sena, Bakunth Lal Sharma, Champat Rai Bansal, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, and Dharam Das.
The criminal conspiracy theory was rejected by the special CBI court, which determined that the demolition on December 6, 1992, was an unplanned, spontaneous act.
Lok Sabha Elections after 2019: Is Modi Using Political Manoeuvres?
Even though Advani was the BJP’s main spokesperson in its early years, his prominence in politics began to wane following the party’s win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. With his increasing prominence and influence, Prime Minister Modi seemed to push Advani out of the political picture. When Modi disregarded Advani on several public platforms, political analysts took notice.
The biggest surprise occurred on January 22, 2024, when Advani was noticeably missing from the Ram Mandir’s inauguration ceremony. Because of these things, people started speculating about why Modi chose to award Advani the Bharat Ratna.
Is the Ratna of Bharat a Political stunt?
The timing of Modi’s announcement begs the question of why LK Advani was awarded the Bharat Ratna. Some contend that it could be a political ploy to preserve Advani’s legacy and refute the claim that he was neglected after 2019. Regardless of earlier disputes, some regard it as a sincere acknowledgement of Advani’s contributions to Indian politics.
Ram Mandir was integrated on 22 Jan 2024 close to Lok Sabha elections 2024. For your information the Lok Sabha 2024 election date is out by the Election commission of India and the starting date is 16 Apr 2024.
The question raises that why the Ram Mandir inauguration date is so near to the election date. And even after that Bharat Ratna awarded to LK Advani during this time period. The Babri Masjid and Ram Mandir issue is a political marketing tool for RSS and BJP.
