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Advani cheers up Swaraj after Gadkari's CVC dig

March 11, 2011 23:33 IST

Upset over Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari ticking her off at a his press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, a sulking Lok Sabha Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj tried to lodge her protest by skipping a meeting of the Central Election Committee held on Thursday to decide candidates for the upcoming assembly elections.

Swaraj, however, turned up after senior leader Lal Krishna Advani persuaded and told her not to take ill of Gadkari's remarks and appreciate that he was caught in a situation in which he had to take the stand that the Central Vigilance Commissioner issue is not shut despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh taking the responsibility.

Sources said Advani cheered up Sushma, pointing out that she has  already made a history on the CVC issue by insisting against  appointment of tainted P J Thomas, and her stand has been already upheld by the Supreme Court, quashing his appointment.

They said Advani also sought to impress upon her that her stand that the matter be closed after the PM taking the responsibility for the wrong appointment of Thomas was quite correct as she was magnanimous, but there are occasions when even right remarks are wrongly interpreted creating unnecessary controversies.

That has happened with him also and one should not get upset as such moments come in the political life, Advani told her and persuaded her not to send a wrong message of any divide in the party by absenting from the CEC meeting.

Swaraj is a  member in the 21-member CEC.

A Correspondent in New Delhi