Prini (Manali), June 12
BJP leader and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said “no Gujarat should be repeated in the country and whatever happened there should not have happened”.
Talking to mediapersons on his arrival here for a weeklong stay at his private house, Mr Vajpayee said the Opposition was able to take advantage of the Gujarat incident as it was not managed the way it should have been. “One effect of the Gujarat violence was that we lost the elections,” he added, hinting at several reasons also being responsible for the NDA debacle in the elections.
Referring to the recent media reports regarding Congress President Sonia Gandhi having access to sensitive official documents, Mr Vajpayee said though she was not the Prime Minister, it did not mean that she would not play any role in the government. When asked how he felt holidaying after the hectic elections and the Parliament session, Mr Vajpayee said: “My dream of coming to Manali has materialised after months. The town is progressing, but it needs more facilities to promote tourism.”
At Bhuntar airport, Mr Vajpayee told mediapersons that he felt relieved now with his responsibilities having decreased.
Talking of the scope of progress in Manali, Mr Vajpayee said local craftsmanship needed promotion.
Mr Vajpayee was earlier received at the airport by Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal.
The former Prime Minister’s motorcade arrived here amid the beats of dhol. He was welcomed by members of the Nagar Panchayat, Manali, the SDM and mahila mandals from Prini and Shuru villages. Villagers from Solang welcomed the guest with flowers and shawls.
