Advani makes no mention of Modi in video conference address

BJP patriarch L K Advani today made no mention of the anointment of Narendra Modi in his address for an event in which he broke his silence over his ill health that forced him to stay away from the party's goa meet.

Advani, who had reservations on anointing Modi, a move considered just short of making him BJP's prime ministerial candidate, did not speak a word about any political matter or issues which were taken up at the party's national executive meeting in Goa.

In his 11-minute recorded address, Advani recalled his friendship with Pandit Sriram Dave in whose memory a lecture was organised here.

Shortly after BJP took the plunge by plumping him in a crucial role, Modi spoke to a sulking Advani and claimed that the party veteran had given him his blessings.

"Spoke to Advani ji on the phone. He gave me his blessings. Honoured and extremely grateful to receive his blessings," Modi tweeted minutes after he was appointed by BJP as chairman of BJP campaign committee for the 2014 elections.

In his video conference address, Advani said he was having stomach upset for the last three days because of which he could not attend the party's Goa meet.

"This morning, I told Sadhvi Priti Priynvada in Jaipur on phone tendering my apology for not attending her event...for the last three consecutive days health was so indisposed...due to stomach upset...loose motions are frequent...this is the reason I could not go to attend our most important national executive meeting in Goa," he said in his speech in Hindi, recorded and sent from Delhi.