Nov.6: Narendra Modi was the punctilious host and L.K. Advani, the copybook guest.
The Gujarat chief minister laid it extravagant for the veteran yatri from the moment his Jan Chetna Rath crossed the border of Daman and rolled into his state through Vapi, a chemical hub 400km to the east of Gandhinagar. He had a helicopter whirr across the skies several times until Advani’s motorised chariot was smothered with flower petals.
After garlanding Advani inside the rath, Modi refused to allow the veteran to reciprocate the gesture. No, he was not rude, an aide emphasised. “You see in Hindu tradition, the courtesies are extended to the guest, the host always take a backseat,” he said.
At the welcome arch, Modi lined up a repast that included a baroque representation of “secularism” in the shape of children attired in fancy dresses like religious priests, Bharat Mata and Dawoodi Bohra drummer boys. He marshalled a thousand youths with saffron bandanas on motorcycles to race with the convoy.
The frisson that was palpable between Advani and Modi, shortly after the yatra was announced, dissipated, at least for the consumption of optics. Neither let the other feel he was a claimant to the throne of the Prime Minister in 2014. Literally.
At Vapi, where Advani addressed his first public meeting, Modi pointedly left one of the two ornamental chairs placed on the dais vacant and sat on an ordinary steel one. Advani occupied one “throne” with a nervous Gujarat BJP president R.C. Faladu sandwiched between him and Modi.
Later, Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat and national vice-president Purshottam Rupala sat on the empty “throne”, knowing he was not a threat to anyone, least of all to Advani and Modi.
Not that Advani passed up an occasion to take a swipe at Modi even as he coated his speeches with endorsements for his government. In Vapi, he resurrected Nitish Kumar, red rag to Modi after making it plain that he was unwanted in Bihar.
“I recall that when Nitish was the railways minister, he frequently launched schemes in Gujarat and sometimes invited me to the functions. I told Nitish, if you do a checklist of the states on one count, namely, ticket-less travel, Gujarat will come out in flying colours because few, if any, Gujaratis travel without buying a ticket,” he said. As he narrated the anecdote, Modi pretended not to listen and chatted with the BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar, seated by his side.
Modi returned Advani’s back-handed compliment by turning the agenda of his yatra to grandstand politically in the run-up to next year’s state elections.
In Valsad, without naming the Gandhis, Modi insinuated that the black money issue, apart from being linked to the Congress, had a “foreign trail”.
In his characteristic oratorical style, he engaged the crowd of women and young men in Navsari. “I have trouble rattling off the figure, so you help me. How much is the money worth?” “Rs 25 lakh,” said the audience. “No,” roared Modi. “It is Rs 25 lakh crore.”
Advani had no choice but to emulate Modi’s articulations. Advani said instead of inflation and corruption, he would ensure that Parliament’s winter session would be dominated with the subject of black money.
In the jugalbandi over black money, Modi proved he had the last word. People everywhere heard him out raptly. Many walked out as soon as Advani took the mike.
