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The 81-year-old BJP leader has started blogging on his website and in his latest writing on Friday he explained how his meeting with the then Ramkrishna Mission chief Swami Ranganathananda had led him to make the Jinnah comment in a "subconscious way" over three years back.
"Swamiji(Ranganathananda), in particular, lauded Jinnah's historic speech in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11 August 1947 and said, "The true exposition of the meaning of secularism can be found in this speech. In a subconscious way, this last conversation with Swamiji was to play a decisive contributory role in my own remarks about Jinnah when I went to Pakistan in May-June 2005," he writes in his blog.
Advani had to resign from the party president post after his comments earned the ire of RSS. In his latest blog entry he also talks in detail about his association with late Swamiji and the memories of association with him since his days in Karachi before partition.
"Our conversation at this last meeting (in 2003 in Kolkata) centred on our days in Karachi, the tragic developments triggered by Partition and the role of Mohammed Ali Jinnah," he writes.
Advani describes the Swami as one of the brightest spiritual lights that shone upon Indian society in our times quoting from his autobiography 'My Country My life'.
"My last meeting with him was in 2003, when I had gone to Kolkata for a function, and Swamiji, after having become the all-India President of the Ramakrishna Mission, was living at Belur Math, the missions headquarters in the city. During the last three years of my life in Karachi, every Sunday evening, I started going to the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram to listen to the discourses on the Bhagavad Gita by Swami Ranganathananda. I was as much fascinated by Swamiji's personality," he adds.
"Once when Swamiji was delivering a lecture on Islam and Prophet Mohammed in Karachi, one person entered the hall and sat in the last row. It was Mohammed Ali Jinnah. After the lecture, Jinnah reportedly rushed to the dais and said, Swamiji, so far I had believed that I am a real Muslim. After listening to your speech, I understand that I am not. But with your blessings, I will try to become a real Muslim," writes Advani.
The blogspace of Advani promises to have two more writings from the BJP leader in a week and also invites comments from readers.
Advani, who has a dedicated website on his name, writes, "I was told that a website without a blog is a like having a letter without signature."
Advani has joined the league of leaders who blog including Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The former deputy prime minister has also promised to increase the quantum of writing as the Lok Sabha election campaign picks up pace.
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Advani, having divided the nation vertically on religious lines, and polarised the votes, he is also aware, that the he still needs votes of some sensible people as well to win the election.He is trying to project himself as a moderator.He also knows that the verdict could be fractured one and he has to make the job bit easy for some parties who have been playing secular card sofar to support him.It is a Desperate CRY for power.
If you are reading Advaniji or swami Ranganadanandaji please do not with same view as you read Lalu prasad and Amarsingh. First of all who are criticising Advaniji's remark on Jinah please do read what he told .He didnt supported what all Jinnah did..he just quoted what he preached in Pak assembly. As a leader of India it was his responsibilty to remaind present Pakistan about the view on harmony even Mr. Jinnah had at that time (may be later). Mr. Advanji done that courage to speak at the face of Pakistan in their land..it was a great diplomatic step.. do not see this in mere political eye......
Let us first accept that Jinnah was great in his own way and that the cessation of a foreign rule in a country with multi-lingual, multi-caste, multi-religious and multi-ethnic base will be,in most cases, attended with painful and yet unavoidable separation of land mass. Having accepted this position, no partition view may be attributed to Advani's views about Jinnah.On this solemn occasion i.e. the birthday of Swami Vivekanand , all of us -Hindus,Muslims,Sikhs and Christians alike- should resolve to be good followers of our resptive religion.
ALL THE BELOW GIVEN COMMENTS ARE MORE OR LESS, DUE TO HATE FOR PAKISTAN AND WITHOUT GOING INTO DETAIL OF THE FACTS AND BACKGROUND, BASED ON WHICH MR.ADVANI COMMENTED AND CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN IT. JUST BECAUSE PAKISTAN IS INDIA'S ENEMY, NOT ALL PAKISTANIS ARE INDIANS ENEMIES. THIS IS A HINDU CULTURE AND MR.ADVANI'S COMMENT SHOULD BE READ AND UNDERSTOOD IN THAT PERSPECTIVE. BUT, ONE IS FREE TO REACH INTO HIS OWN CONCLUSION, WHICH IS UPTO HIM/HER.
I had just read all the comments so far. Ask each of then who should be the next PM. They will say, Rahul baba. Reason: he is from the dynasty.Advani shown the guts again why he said something sometime back. you dont like it, please avoid reading it.
It is becoming increasingly clear that L K Advani is becoming senile. It is high time that he gives up his ambition of becoming PM of India at the very ripe age of 82 years.Remember, even a clerk in service retires at theage of 60 !!
It is very true that old habits do not die. It seems this old man’s love for his place of birth not faded with age nor forgotten his old friends. Therefore it is natural for him to remember all events good or bad. I would suggest him to keep remembering with peace of mind
Mr Advani had met the Swamji almost 60 years ago and the nuggets of wisdom he received out of that tryst burgeoned forth around the year 2005 in praises for M A Jinnah, an inveterate advocate of partition of the subcontinent on the basis of religious following. Will it take just as long for Mr Advani to receive similar sub-conscious promptings of what late Mr.Jinnah's descendants did to India in the form of terrorist genocide?
The 81-year-old BJP leader L.K. Advani is prudently trying to rope in Swami Ranganathande, Chief Ramakrishna Mission to support his remarks about M.A. Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. In fact and effect the more Advani tries to wriggle out of the blunder, the more he adds to his guilt in the matter.In a way Adnani's mindset does not fit well with the thinking of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. For Advani now silence is bliss.
I do not like Jinnah. That does not mean that he did not want the best for Pakistan and that he could speak no right. I do not like Advani. I feel he has commiited a great sin against humanity in deepening the communal divide in India for selfish reasons. But does it mean that he too cannot speak out his mind? Even if you think he is wrong, and Jinnah was the devil incarnate, the man has a right to an opinion. Let him speak. Oppose his opinion if you want to.
If jinnah was a secular person then why there are 3 parts of pre-47 india, India , pakistan and Bangladesh.Anybody who calls Jinnah is secular is a traitor and should be punished leave aside making him PM.If BJP is really sincer about there chances either they should project "Sushma Swaraj" or "Narendra Modi" as PM.Advani is a lier even his own colleague Jaswant Sihgh said that when he said "He had no clue that Jaswant Singh was going to Kandhar with Terrorist".He is absolutely pathetic.
Jinnah was more secular than most of you. If at all he was religious, it was christianity he was attracted. About 3 parts, he did it to fulfill his hunger for power.
One of the writer on this thread ask why Advani is not fit to be PM? I don't know what planet he is living on but 80 plus years old Earthling are hardly fit for any job let alone the most responsible and demanding job in the nation. There are reasons why the retirement age is about 60. More over a person responsible for dividing the Indians on the basis religions and causing riots deserve to be in jail and not in Prime Minister's office.
The statement of Advani is definitely going to affect the chances of BJP coming to power.This shows his lack of diplomacy and immaturity in handling political issues.He is unfit to be a leader,leave alone his PM's candidature!Any prudent leader will not rake up an issue that has subsided.His ego which was cowed down is showing up again!Even his own partymen may disown him soon.
Advani is a ghost sitting as PM in waiting. He should realize its his time to sleep underground. Its rest time baby!!!!
tell the things to pak which has seen more than 65% of its time military rule or the coward rulers not dare to speack the truth. Be thankful to post your comment here in this page and you cannot dare to make any true comment in pakistan perhas you do not know
I am surprised to see ignorance of indians over role of Qaid-e-Azam in creation of Pakistan. For your knowledge, since it seems that this has not been taught to you in your schools, Pakistan was created by three powers present at the time in India namely British, congress and muslim league. Without explicit approval of all three, no plan could have materialised. If you wish to assign responsibility of creation of Pakistan on anybody, it has to be all three.
Like Congress BJP nows looks at Muslim card. Leave hindus they are a divided lot and they will in some time would become extinct.Now it seems like BJP is bent upon becoming another congress. Get Musla votes after all Hindus will never be united.I think he better quit and give the seat to Narendra Modi.
All readers who have commented on this topic seems to have personal hate for Advani and they have failed to read the lines in this article. Even the author seems to be prejudiced and gave a wrong heading of the article. Please read this - "Once when Swamiji was delivering a lecture on Islam and Prophet Mohammed in Karachi, one person entered the hall and sat in the last row. It was Mohammed Ali Jinnah. After the lecture, Jinnah reportedly rushed to the dais and said, Swamiji, so far I had believed that I am a real Muslim. After listening to your speech, I understand that I am not. But with your blessings, I will try to become a real Muslim," writes Advani. Whats wrong here? Advani has only stated his experience. Unfortunately, the differences between Nehru and Jinnah, and subsequent division of the country, the post Ind regimes tilted history their way and painted all negative against Jinnah, a villain like Amrish Puri. But Puri too had some great roles, then why not Jinnah?
Advani is not fit for the job? he is the one who can do anything after hearing voices?
Culprits - Jinnah was and Advani is.
Real culprits, if you read history correctly, were Gandhi and Nehru. They thought India was their personal dish to be shared with any others without consulting any one else. Gandhi pampered Jinnah, nurtured him while he scoffed at the other great contemporary leaders like Ambedkar and Savarkar for no obvious reasons but as they both were his policies' hard line critics and so for patriotic reasons. Advani is in delirium all the time. So have been many Congress and BJP leaders - it is atragedy of our country.
It seems that BJP is not serious about the coming Lok Saba election. Advani's slogan of India shining became BJP darkening in the last election. Both Advani and Shekawat will do a lot of good to the nation, if they withdraw and let young leadership take over the party with real new ideas other than Ram temple.
If Jinnah was secular than Advani is communal ?
Here is a desparate man trying to project himself as an acceptable and secualr leader. He is provoked by the entry of Shkhavat as Mr. acceptable. Readers, please try to understand Advan's frustration as he already lost two chances to Vajpayee who successfully played the acceptability card. He is 81 and can not wait another term for Shekhawat. Remember, a man in desparation might say and do anything. Do not take him seriousely.
This old man has some connections with Jinnah. He is trying to divide the country again just like Jinnah did. May be ISI rrecruited him and send him to INdian to cause communal riots in INdia. there is another possibility. He is too old 81) and has gone mentally sick as he had been livig with the ambition of somehow becoming the PM of INdia. "B"advani.
Those who are questioning why LKA is praising X, Y or Z- dont go by the "headline"of the news story, first read the full content. Reading it out of context and reacting is not fair. Why is Advaniji not fit to be PM? I
it is really sad that the person who has divided the country is praised by projected P.M.of BJP. It seems that BJP party is doing wrong proecting the person who is too old to derserve P.M. BJP has still chance to rectify the mistake if they want really to come in power and should forget the differences among leaders. Yonungsters want engegetic and young leader as P.M.