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Advani praises Modi's Gujarat Gaurav Yatra

"When the opposition parties denigrate Gujarat as 'Godse's Gujarat', the need for restoring Gujarat's gaurav [honour] is all the more important," he said addressing office bearers in a meeting of the party in New Delhi.

Describing the yatra as a 'highly successful programme', Advani said the party must now work to ensure that its Gaon Chalo Abhiyan [Go to the village campaign] and the proposed December rally in the capital also turns out equally successful.

Referring to the criticism of Modi within the party, he cautioned the members to be careful and maintain unity. "As a ruling party, we are under the microscope. Therefore, our political behaviour must strive for idealism," he said.

The criticism surfaced when Gujarat revenue minister Haren Pandya had resigned from the state Cabinet following differences with Modi, which was later sorted out with central intervention, even as Modi's predecessor and poll campaign in-charge Keshubhai Patel had recently stated that elected legislatures would chose their leader as against the projection of Modi as a chief ministerial candidate.

Advani has been taking active interest in party affairs of late, following the BJP's debacle in Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and other places and made changes in the party, including the change of leadership and rejuvenation of the organisation at the state level.

The deputy prime minister said that in the last three months, a new sense of confidence has grown in the party. "The party's activities, its zonal conferences, the political programmes, have made the opposition jittery. The hostility of the opposition is the result of the successful programme of the BJP," he said.

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