New Delhi:
LK Advani has been granted permission to hold a rally tonight at Mughalsarai in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Advani began his Jan Chetna Yatra, a tour aimed at fighting corruption, from Bihar yesterday.
His first rally in Uttar Pradesh had been planned at the Railway Training Institute ground belonging to the Indian Railways in Mughalsarai. Railways authorities earlier said they could not permit any political rally to be held on railway property.
The BJP, at a public announcement at the ground, said it would go ahead with its plans even without permission. The party blamed the Centre for using the Railways Ministry to prevent Mr Advani from connecting with the people.
Permission from Dinesh Trivedi, Railways Minister, was faxed over shortly before 9 pm, just as the issue threatened to seize the status of a political flashpoint.
Reacting to the development, Mr Advani said, "I came to know that permission had been denied. I didn't understand it. But then I came to know that permission had been granted...we had gotten late in the morning here but were determined to come here and send a message to the people of UP."
Mr Advani's yatra in UP has huge significance, not just because the state votes soon and the BJP is desperate to improve its performance here, but because of Mr Advani's "Ayodhya politics". In 1990, Mr Advani undertook the Ram Rath Yatra to build up support for the construction of a Ram Mandir at the disputed site in Ayodhya. Many blame the tour for generating the communal fervour that led to the destruction of the Babri Masjid.
Mr Advani's tour covering 7600 kms in 38 days is seen as his attempt to establish himself as his party's main candidate for Prime Minister ahead of the general elections, scheduled for 2014.