Advani not to attend Delhi assembly’s silver jubilee function
New Delhi, Dec 13: BJP veteran LK Advani will not be able to attend an event to mark the silver jubilee celebrations of the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Saturday due to personal reasons, speaker Ram Niwas Goel said. The Delhi Assembly speaker had invited Advani as the chief guest to the function held to mark the 25th anniversary of its first sitting.
"Advani ji's PA has told me that the leader will not be able to attend the event due to personal reasons," Goel told late on Wednesday.
A section of Delhi BJP leaders had expressed reservations over Advani's reported acceptance of the invitation. Many leaders, on the condition of anonymity, said that Advani should abstain from the function.
Advani celebrates his 91st birthday; the BJP has come a long way from two to 282 seats
"The AAP leaders specially its chief Arvind Kejriwal are known to push their political agenda on almost any platform. Advani may inadvertently become their tool in this case," a senior Delhi BJP functionary said.
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari had, however, overruled objections of party leaders in the matter saying, Advani should join the function as he may succeed in ending "negativity" of the AAP dispensation.
"I
do
not
see
any
problems
in
Advani
joining
the
function.
I
feel
some
people
should
go
nearer
to
AAP
leaders
and
Kejriwal
so
that
their
negativity
could
be
removed,"
Tiwari
told
.
The
AAP
and
BJP
share
a
bitter
relation
over
a
host
of
issues.
The
two
sides
traded
barbs
on
many
occasions
most
recently
in
case
of
inauguration
of
Signature
Bridge
and
an
attack
on
chief
minister
Arvind
Kejriwal
at
the
Delhi
secretariat.
"Kejriwal's outlook is negative. I know, he has not invited Advani with a positive mindset but still he should go there," Tiwari said.
Yes Advani will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Gandhinagar
Advani had been the first chairperson of the Delhi Metropolitan Council, the body that preceded the Assembly, from 1966 to 1970. The Delhi Assembly had its first sitting on December 14, 1993.
Besides Advani, other invitees to the function include former members of the legislative assembly.