'Advani yatra has blessings of Sangh Parivar, Vajpayee'

Hubli, Apr 6 (UNI) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karnataka unit President D V Sadananda Gowda today claimed that the party's 'Bharat Suraksha Yatra' had the blessings of the Sangh Parivar and former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, and would certainly create awareness among the people.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr Gowda, who was here to oversee the arrangements in Karnataka for the yatra led by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani, said the yatra, beginning on April 12, would enter Karnataka on April 15 near Hagari village of Bellary district, after passing through Bijapur, Bagalkot, Gadag, Dharwad and Koppal districts. Mr Advani would address public meetings in almost all the districts.

To a question, he said he was neither aware of the Ananth Kumar group nor the Yediyurappa group in the party, but knew only one group -- 'Lotus group'. There might be some differences of opinion among party leaders and workers, but not dissidence.

Mr Gowda said his party's stand on the Hubli Idgah Maidan issue was clear as it wanted the problem to be settled under the proposed guidelines of the Supreme Court.

Rejecting allegations that the party, which fought for the development of the Northern Karnataka region, neglected it after joining the Government, Mr Gowda and yatra incharge in the State Arvind Limbavali gave details of the funds earmarked for irrigation projects and railway line projects in the region.

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