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Advani has no vehicle, no insurance policy
L.K. Advani's affidavits reveal interesting facts about his investment preferences but make no mention of Babri mosque demolition case.
Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani's affidavits furnished with his nomination papers for the general election reveal interesting facts about his investment preferences but make no mention of the Babri mosque demolition case.
Advani is contesting for the fourth time from the Gandhinagar from where he filed his nomination papers last week.
All eyes were on the details in the two affidavits, filed before the returning officer as required by Election Commission guidelines, for any possible reference to the Babri mosque demolition case.
Advani claimed in the affidavit: "No case as of today is pending against me."
He was answering a question on whether "any cases were pending against the candidate in which cognisance has been taken by the court" as required in the affidavit declaration.
The veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was in the eye of a controversy for his alleged involvement in events that led to the razing of the 16th-century Babri mosque in temple town of Ayodhya on Dec 6, 1992.
A special court had said Sept 19, 2003, that there was no ground for framing charges against Advani in the case while ruling that charges would be framed against his cabinet colleague Murli Manohar Joshi and six more BJP leaders.
The two affidavits, however, reveal interesting trivia about Advani's financial profile.
For a man whose name has become synonymous with yatras, or cross-country campaigns, Advani claims to own no cars.
Moreover, for a man who has survived an attack on his life at least once and has been provided the highest security, Advani has no insurance policy.
According to the affidavit, Advani's moveable assets include investments in bank deposits, financial institutions and public limited companies worth Rs.1,228,087 in his name, and Rs.1,119,356 in his wife Kamala's name.
The amount comprises a fixed deposit of Rs.605,000 with IDBI, a deposit of Rs.980,000 with Surya Roshni Limited, and the balance in savings bank accounts.
Advani holds IDBI bonds worth Rs.60,000 while his wife owns 500 shares of Daurala Organics (worth Rs.5,000) and 1500 shares of Satyam Infotainment (worth Rs.15,000).
Diversifying his portfolio by putting money in mutual funds, Advani has invested Rs.1 million in the Templeton India Builder scheme and Rs.400,000 in ICICI income plan. He, however, has made no investment in postal savings scheme, or national savings certificates.
The gold and jewellery, owned 10 percent by him and 90 percent by his wife, are valued at Rs.0.65-0.7 million, according to his affidavit of March 29.
While Advani holds no agricultural or non-agricultural land, he owns three houses - two in the Heritage City at Gurgaon near New Delhi, valued at Rs.3 million each, and one in the state capital of Gandhinagar, valued at Rs.2.5 million.
