'BJP backs Advaniji's Yatra against corruption'

Reacting to newspapers reports Leader of the Opposition Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj denied that Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani's Yatra against corruption had taken the party's second rung leadership by surprise.

She was addressing a joint press conference with senior party leader Arun Jaitley in New Delhi on Friday.
"I have seen some of the reports appearing in the national media on Advaniji's proposed Yatra against corruption. On Thursday, we had a meeting of the Parliamentary board on where Advaniji said that there was a need to have such ayatra and reach out to the people against corruption and black money stashed abroad."

"The idea was welcomed by all those who were present and it was decided that it should now be left to them to work out details such as the name of the yatra, the date from where it would start and where would it end and the route it would follow", she added.

Congress leaders lampooned the idea of another yatra. "The BJP should rename itself as Bhratiya Yatra party," said a senior Congress leader.

An unfazed Jaitley said that no matter how many times the Congress leaders ridicule the proposed Yatra, but they cannot hide the revulsion of the people towards the ruling party.

"This is evident from the fact the manner in which relatives of victims's of Delhi high court bomb blast booed Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. It is time for them to leave," Jaitley said.

On asked whether the announcement of the Yatra means that Advani has sent a message to the second rung leadership and he would be the prime ministerial candidate the party should it win the polls, Swaraj said that that media would be informed as and when they take a decision.

"For now, there is no prime ministerial candidate," she said.