Advani lays down law for BJP MPs

On Monday, LK Advani asked BJP leaders to stay from small temptations — like “the urge to see their names in the newspapers... their faces on TV for a few seconds” — that damaged the party. On Tuesday, he virtually read out his commandments to the newly-elected party MPs. Shekhar Iyer writes.

On Monday, LK Advani asked BJP leaders to stay from small temptations — like “the urge to see their names in the newspapers... their faces on TV for a few seconds” — that damaged the party.

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On Tuesday, he virtually read out his commandments to the newly-elected party MPs.

They are:

- Stay out of corporate wars
- Don’t ask questions in Parliament on behalf of lobbyists on the prowl
- Check every document before you sign

Adavni even wants the MPs to do a thorough background check on the persons they appoint as private secretaries and office assistants. He told them to be careful as these were critical times when individuals and parties were looking for opportunities to “show each other down”.

“Advani told party MPs they should not come under any such influence. Last time, we suffered due to this (the cash-for-question scam that led to the expulsion of many BJP MPs from Lok Sabha last year),” said Sushma Swaraj, the BJP’s deputy leader in Lok Sabha.

Advani had on Monday taken a dig at leaders hungry for publicity.

“The urge (among some party leaders) to see their names in the newspapers... to see their faces on TV for a few seconds... They should keep away from small temptations,” he said. “Sometimes, I feel there are too many spokespersons in our party.”