Lal Krishna Advani (born November 8, 1927/1929, Karachi) is an Indian politician.

Advani is the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Leader of the Opposition in the 14th Lok Sabha. He is a prominent figure in his party and was the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister in the Indian government (1998-2004). Many consider him, rather than Atal Behari Vajpayee, to be the most influential figure in the party due to the latter's old age and failing health.

Advani was born on November 8, 1929 in Karachi (now in Pakistan). His early schooling was at St.Patrick's in Karachi. He later on graduated in Law from Bombay University. Though not a practising lawyer, he argued on behalf of his party in 1974 before the Supreme Court in the Presidential reference whether election to the post of President could be held when the Gujarat Assembly was dissolved.

From 1970 to 1989, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha. In 1989 and again in 1991, he was elected to Lok Sabha and in 1991, he was elected Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

The Babri Mosque demolition was the culmination of a decade-long movement by the BJP the party Advani led which came to realise that by raising the issue of the Ram Temple they could mobilise the Hindu voters for their political party. This process achieved their goal but also polarised Indian society like never before.

In appearances before the Liberhan Commission, a judical body set up to investigate the Babri incident, Advani claimed that the demolition was the most agonising moment of his life.

The Ayodhya site is claimed by both Hindus and Muslims. A mosque there was torn down by Hindu activists in 1992, sparking riots nationwide that cost 2,000 lives.

Some Hindus say it was the site of an earlier temple and a new one should be built there.

Speaking to correspondents on his appointment as President of BJP, Advani said: "We must be candid enough to recognise the Hindu anger that exploded on the streets in the early 90s has given way to a patient wait for the new temple whose construction, I feel is inevitable."

External links

• Profile on website of BJP (http://www.bjp.org/leader/advaniji.htm)
• Profile (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2075803.stm) by BBC News dated April 16, 2003

[Category:Indian politicians]]