By IANS,
New Delhi : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Friday claimed that though his proposed joint visit to Mumbai with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could not materialise, his suggestion that the two could meet there during their respective trips has not been heeded so far.
In a statement issued here, Advani said that the idea to go together to Mumbai could not work out since their schedules did not match.
He said: “Just before leaving for Mumbai at 4 p.m. (Thursday), I was told the prime minister had changed his mind and would follow a little later.”
“I then suggested we could meet at a pre-arranged spot during our respective visits so that my appeal for a united response to the terrorist challenge could become a visible message to the people. Although I was told that we would be informed about the venue of such a meeting in Mumbai I received no word thereafter. ”
“I said in my statement yesterday morning that the prime minister suggested he and I should go to Mumbai together later in the day. I had readily agreed, deferring my own departure plan. However, in the afternoon I was told that it would be better if we went on Friday, as the commando operation was not over,” Advani said.
“Since my campaign schedule for Rajasthan could not be altered at such a late hour, I expressed my inability to delay visiting Mumbai by a whole day, but assured the Home Minister that I would not visit the areas where action was still underway.”