Vajpayee said this after Heptullah, a veteran Congress leader, heaped praises on him on the sidelines of a book release function.
Major central trade unions, including financial institutions and state and central government employees associations, will go on a nationwide strike on February 24.
Dr Singh said he told Bush that upon his return to India after his previous trip, he had obtained the approval of Parliament.
Listening to the wishes of thousands of his admirers and friends, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will celebrate Holi at his residence in New Delhi on Saturday. BJP all-India secretary Vijay Goel, who was an MoS in the Prime Minister's Office during the National Democratic Alliance regime, said Vajpayee would receive visitors between 11 am and 1 pm.
Vajpayee said those who have worked or interacted with Advani know him as a man who has never compromised on his core belief in nationalism, and yet has 'displayed flexibility in political responses whenever it was demanded by the situation'.
Leader of Opposition and party president Lal Kishenchand Advani termed as 'wrong, mischievous and baseless' United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi's charge that the Opposition changed its stand on the Women's Reservation Bill.
Shukla is understood to have discussed with Vajpayee the possibility of poll adjustments with the Bharatiya Janata Party in Chhattisgarh.
India and Bahrain on Tuesday signed five agreements, including an extradition treaty that deals with concrete steps to combat terrorism and strengthens bilateral cooperation in control of crime.
The two countries to resume a composite dialogue next month to resolve all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.
Terming the prevailing situation in Uttar Pradesh as a "challenge", he said that the party must prepare itself to face it and restore the earlier position of the party in the state.
The dialogue will address all bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.
The leaders also adopted the Islamabad Declaration for the SAARC summit.
The prime minister will arrive in Islamabad on Saturday to attend the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit.
The party had quit the NDA citing differences with the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit.
The former prime minister said Vajpayee has indicated that his upcoming visit to Islamabad will include meetings with "everyone", including Musharraf.
The golden run of "Slumdog Millionaire" at the Oscars and A R Rahman's double win brought smiles on the face of ailing former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who watched the awards at the AIIMS' ICU and even gestured to the staff to have a look at the television.
'Even though the Lok Sabha elections are still a year away, all of you should highlight the achievements of the NDA government,' he said.
Advani would also attend today's meeting, the sources said.\n
The BJP chief also announced the party's plans to hold a public rally in Lucknow on December 24, which he said would be addressed by Vajpayee to launch election campaign for Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Cautioning developed countries against imposing non-tariff barriers, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said popular support for economic liberalisation will collapse if the developmental concerns of the poorer countries are not addressed.
He said there is no political consensus for changing the boundaries of states in the Northeast.
Asked whether Basu should be awarded the Bharat Ratna, CPI-M politburo member Biman Bose told reporters in Kolkata, "I don't know whether Basu fulfills the parameters. If he fulfills it, Basu can be given the highest civilian award.'' Bose flayed senior BJP leader L K Advani for writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to propose the honour for Vajpayee, saying the saffron party was playing politics with the country's highest civilian award.
The Commission, whose extended term is expiring on June 31, closed the proceedings with conclusion of the deposition of its key witness Kalyan Singh during whose tenure as chief minister the medieval monument was razed on December 6, 1992.
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