Advani, Joshi reduced to mute spectators: Congress

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday taunted the BJP's decision to drop its veteran leaders L K Advani and M M Joshi from the party’s highest decision-making body, Parliamentary Board, saying they have been put in an "old age home" and their 'Margdarshak Mandal' will only be a 'mookdarshak' (mute spectator).
"It is a mookdarshak mandal. It is like an old age home from where Advani and Joshi will witness the functioning of BJP like mutes.We were all aware that they are being sidelined," said Congress leader Rashid Alvi.
Congress leader and former Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari said the development marks the "process of centralisation of power" in one hand, apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
UPA ally NCP, however, termed it as an internal matter of BJP and said new faces, who have come in the place of BJP veterans, are also important for a party.
"How the Parliamentary Board is constituted is the prerogative of the president of the party. This is the convention. But the organisation matters. In place of veterans, they have chosen new faces and these new faces are also important in the party," said NCP leader D P Tripathi.