New Delhi, July 13: BJP leader L.K. Advani, who had last month expressed dissatisfaction over the way party was functioning, remarked Friday that he was more of a blogger these days than a political activist.
Advani's remarks, made in a lighter vein at a book release function here, came in response to comments of a speaker earlier that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had scripted growth of his party but was now finding himself left in the middle of a stream.
"I certainly like to do a blog. (I am) more of a blogger these days then I am a political activist. Hence, some people say in sympathy that I have been left mid-stream," Advani said.
The BJP leader regularly posts his views and writings on his blog.
Advani had resigned from key party posts last month, a day after elevation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as campaign chief of BJP for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. He had relented after the intervention of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Advani, who released the book "A view from the Raisina Hill" by journalist P.P. Balachandran at Press Club here, said that the year 1989 marked "a turning point" for the BJP.
He said the party won 86 seats in 1989 polls compared to two it had won in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections.
"I used to tell my partymen after the 1984 polls that there was no reason to be despondent. These were not Lok Sabha but shok sabha polls (mourning polls - a reference to sympathy for the Congress in the wake of assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984)," he said.
Referring to the 1975-77 emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, he said three sections - political activists, legal fraternity and the media - were affected very directly.
Advani said the section that behaved the best was the legal fraternity, particularly judges of high courts.
Advani said he had told the journalist fraternity after emergency that "while the government expected you only to bend, I found some of you were willing to crawl. That made me sad".
Advani, a former journalist, said he had come Press Club after many years.
Praising the book, Advani said it reflected the author's command over the language.
"I have been a journalist, but I do not consider myself a writer," the BJP leader said.
He said Balachandran had learnt his initial lessons in journalism from noted journalists such as Nikhil Chakravarthy.
Referring to Balachandran calling himself a reluctant writer, Advani a movie he wanted to see was "a reluctant fundamentalist."
Advani said he was "a book lover" and "a film lover" and admitted during an interview that his biggest weakness was books.
He said he was impressed by Balachandran's book, had markings in it and would like to do a blog on it.
"A View from Raisina Hill" is a compendium of select writings by Balachandran, who has worked in senior positions both in the print media and television.
