Advani-Modi rift a media creation, many in BJP capable of being PM: Yashwant

New Delhi: Amid a Modi-versus-Advani debate, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has said there are many “capable” Prime Ministerial candidates in the party, including himself, but a decision on whether or not to project anybody would be taken close to the Lok Sabha elections only. Sinha also sought to downplay the reports of differences between BJP leader LK Advani and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. [caption id=“attachment_106551” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Yashwant Sinha also sought to downplay the reports of differences between LK Advani and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. Reuters”]  [/caption] “It’s merely a media creation and nobody is talking so within the BJP,” the former Union Minister told PTI on the reported tussle between Advani and Modi because of their perceived ambitions for Prime Ministership. “Since, the debate within Congress is gaining ground that AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi could take over the mantle from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before completion of the present term of UPA ministry, media, in a balancing act, has created similar plot in the BJP too,” he said. Asked whether Advani or Modi was a better candidate for Prime Ministership, Sinha shot back, saying there are many leaders in the BJP capable of occupying the PM’s post. He, however, did not identify any of them. On whether he could also be a candidate, the former Finance Minister said, “Why not. Does anyone doubt my capability?” He said the party would decide close to the elections who should be projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate or whether or not anybody should be projected at all. When pointed out that Advani’s Jan rath yatra was seen as linked to his Prime Ministerial ambitions, Sinha sought to emphasise that the two were not linked. Describing the yatra as a political movement against corruption, he said it should not be seen from narrow prism of “Modi-versus-Advani” fight for Prime Ministership. He also supported the timing of the launch of the yatra, which began from Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan’s native place in Sitab Diara in Bihar. “The timing and venue for the start of Jan rath yatra from Sitab Diara of Advaniji is perfectly timed,” Sinha said, adding there could not have been any other auspicious date than JP’s birth anniversary for launching a campaign like this. On the 2G scam, Sinha said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was culpable of “omission” and Home Minister P Chidambaram of “commission”. “Chidambaram is culpable of an act of commission because he actually committed the act of agreeing with A Raja. “The Prime Minister is culpable, according to the present information, of an act of omission because he did not apply his mind to the extent to which he was expected to and followed the policy of keeping arm’s length,” he said. Sinha charged Chidambaram with giving “misleading” statements on 2G scam to “confuse” people. On the government’s argument that it merely followed the telecom policy put in place in 2003 when NDA was in power, Sinha, who was then the Finance Minister, termed it as a “white lie”. “They neither followed the policy in right spirit nor its implementation,” he said. He said the NDA government policy of Universal Access Service Licence (UASL) was temporary as the TRAI had been asked to recommend guidelines for permanent Universal Service Licence (USL), which it did in 2005. PTI