Patna: BJP leader L K Advani`s has got a new
"rath" for himself from Karnataka after the first one
developed a technical problem soon after the start of the
yatra.
His party colleagues Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley were
taken ill yesterday while travelling in the modified bus due
to the problem in the generator. They had to be given medical
aid after they complained of nausea and alighted from the
vehicle midway on the Mahatma Gandhi setu here while coming
from Chapra.
Convenor of the yatra Ananth Kumar told reporters at Patna
today that the generator in the vehicle leaked carbon monoxide
into the rear of the rath even as the exhaust duct did not
function properly.
The problem was attended to in Patna and things have
been set right for onward journey, he said.
Advani, meanwhile, has got another rath from Karnataka but
is sticking to the first one which has been repaired.
The BJP leader again had some anxious moments when the
"rath" got stuck under a railway bridge at Koyalbar near
Patna. The rath driver did some deft manoeuvring to steer the
13.9 feet rath under the 13-feet high bridge.
The yatra got stalled for about 10 minutes and Advani was
seen complimenting the driver after the rath moved forward.
Earlier in Patna, Advani also paid floral tributes at the
statue of Ram Manohar Lohia, whose death anniversary will be
observed tomorrow.
PTI
