Advani's yatra ploy to keep himself in national politics: Cong

The Congress on Friday criticised L K Advani for describing Manmohan Singh as the "weakest" prime minister and said the Bharatiya Janata Party leader's Jan Chetna Yatra was "a ploy" to keep himself in "national politics and power".

Advani had also commented against the prime minister before the last Lok Sabha elections and then apologised, All India Congress Committee General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed told reporters in Kolkata. He said the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament was always considered as the prime minister in waiting, but Advani was forced to resign from the post.

"His ratha yatra is a ploy to keep himself in the run in national politics and power or in limelight," Ahmed said.

Stating that the BJP was never above allegations of corruption, he said, "Allegations of over thousands of crores of rupees in corruption against his party in Karnataka and bribery charges against former party president Bangaru Laxman, reveal the party's real image. How can such a party shout against corruption?"

Ahmed, the in-charge of West Bengal, was in Kolkata to attend party's organisational meeting where a coordination committee and a monitoring committee were formed to strengthen the party's activities and flagship programmes.