Somnath rath yatra on vehicle brainchild of Mahajan : Advani

Mumbai, May 9 (UNI) The Somnath to Ayodhya rathyatra was the brainchild of Pramod Mahajan, former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today recounted.

Addressing the party's Maharashtra executive committee meeting here organised to mourn the death of Mr Mahajan, who passed away on May three, Mr Advani said ''''It was Pramod's brainchild to do the Somnath temple to Ayodhya rath yatra in a vehicle.'' Mr Advani's rath yatra brought the BJP close to power in the late 1990s.

''I wanted to take out a padyatra from Somnath, but it was Pramod who came out with the idea of converting a vehicle into a rath,'' he said and added that he had exceptional imagination skills and capacity.

He described the late BJP general secretary as a ''role model'' for party workers and a political manager who had several talents, including oratory and organisational skills.

''Pramod was exceptional and was standing head and shoulders above the rest in intelligence quotient,'' observed Mr Advani.

He said the leader had also suggested him recently to take out an ''aerial rath yatra'' in the North East region of the country.

He had a ''never say die'' attitude and was ready to accept any responsibility of the party.

On the occasion, he also remembered Bharatiya Jansangh founder President Dr Shyamaprasad Mukherjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya, who passed away at the age of 52.

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