Gadkari ignores LK Advani’s salvo, holds top leaders’ meeting

NEW DELHI: On a day when BJP leader LK Advani made a veiled attack on Nitin Gadkari on his blog, the party president held his ground by holding a meeting of central office bearers to discuss today’s bandh protesting petrol hike and forthcoming agitations against UPA government. Advani was conspicous by his absence at the meeting held at Gadkari’s residence this evening.
Among those who attended were the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley, all party general secretaries and other senior leaders. Party leaders were silent on Advani’s charge that BJP’s campaign against corruption has been blunted by some of the recent decisions taken by Gadkari.
Appearing unfazed by the attack, Gadkari went ahead with the pre-scheduled meeting to discuss BJP’s performance in enforcing the bandh across the country to protest against the Rs 7.50 hike in petrol prices. BJP leaders discussed plans for a ‘Jan Sangarsh Abhiyan’- an all-India agitation- from June 7.
The party will take on UPA government on three issues- alleged discrimination against BJP and NDA-ruled states, price rise and complete rollback of the latest round of petrol price hike. Party sources, however, said Advani’s blog has served as a dampner for BJP on a day when the bandh was intended to be the highlight. Observing that the mood within the party “these days is not upbeat”, Advani said on his blog that “the results in Uttar Pradesh (assembly polls), the manner in which the party welcomed BSP Ministers who were removed by Mayawatiji on the charge of corruption, the party?s handling of Jharkhand and Karnataka ? all these events have undermined the party?s campaign against corruption.”