Advani begins second leg of Bharat Uday Yatra

Deputy PM Advani on Tuesday began the second phase of his Bharat Uday Yatra from Mahatma Gandhi's birthplace in Gujarat.

Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani on Tuesday began the second phase of his Bharat Uday Yatra from Mahatma Gandhi's birthplace in Gujarat seeking a renewed mandate for the country's ruling coalition.

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The campaign was kick-started sharp at 9 am after Advani visited Gandhi's birthplace, called Kirti Mandir, in this coastal town of Saurashtra, 412 km from the state capital Gandhinagar.

Seeking to draw a parallel between Ram Navami, the Hindu festival that falls on Tuesday, and Gandhi, Advani told reporters that Ram was Mahatma Gandhi's favourite god.

"Gandhi began his every meeting with the prayer to Lord Ram. Some Muslims did not like it and their (Muslims') abhorrence to Gandhi's prayer became one of the major reasons for India's partition," Advani said.

Interpreting the meaning of "Ram Rajya" or "Lord Ram's rule," Advani said: "Ram Rajya means good governance which even Gandhiji advocated. Good governance is the essence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). We won the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on the basis of good governance."

The second phase of his "Bharat Uday Yatra," or India Shining Tour, will end April 14, the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, in the eastern Hindu pilgrimage centre of Puri.