By IANS,
New Delhi : BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, who accompanied senior leader L.K. Advani during the Jan Chetna Yatra, would sometimes get tired after a hectic schedule, but he never saw the octogenarian leader getting tired, said Prasad at the unveiling of a film on the yatra here Friday.
Prasad, speaking at the event, said they travelled an average 300 km every day during the 40-day yatra across 22 states and five union territories.
The 35-minute film is made by Advani’s daughter Pratibha, who accompanied him through the journey.
Prasad said he would sometimes get tired after a hectic schedule which required getting up early and sleeping late, but he did not see a tired Advani.
‘I did not see him (Advani) getting tired. He did not leave a single meeting,” Prasad said, adding that it was good education for him “both to see my leader and my country differently”.
The film has speeches by the 84-year old Advani interspersed with the theme song of the journey titled “Ab bus (Now no more).”
The film, however, does not show Advani addressing questions about the possibility of his being the party’s prime ministerial candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The question recurred several times after Advani announced his plans of yatra Sep 8. He has insisted that the matter will be decided by the party.
Talking to reporters before screening of the film at his residence, Advani said the Jan Chetna Yatra had evoked more public support than his previous five yatras and saw participation from all sections and communities.
The yatra had “surpassed” the previous cross-state marches including the well-known Ram rath yatra, he said.
Advani said he had liked a film on black money by filmmaker Mani Shankar, who also played a role in conceiving the theme song of the yatra.
He said he was asked to sing for the theme song but opted to speak at the beginning and end of the video.
The film shows moments when Advani turns teary-eyed in front of crowds. It also captures snippets of his rallies in party and opposition ruled states alongside party chief ministers and senior leaders including Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.
There is no commentary in the film and Advani’s speeches have been woven between the theme song. The film also captures people in traditional attires across states.
The length of film is proposed to be increased to an hour by including some more interviews.
The yatra, which culminated in Delhi last month, began Oct 11 from Jayaprakash Narayan?s birthplace at Sitab Diara in Bihar.
The yatra was on the theme of corruption, black money and inflation.