Advani’s daughter may join politics

New Delhi: Pratibha Advani, daughter of former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on Thursday said politics has taken the shape of a profession and people entering into it are not guided by any commitment to serve the people.

In an interview to a weekly she said that she would join politics on her own strength, indirectly conveying that she would not need any help from her father, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha LK Advani, to enter this field.

When asked if she would like jump into politics when Priyanka Gandhi, daughter of Congress President Sonia Gandhi did so, Pratibha retorted: "Why so? I shall not decide on the basis that somebody is doing so. This should not happen. I look at politics differently. If I want to come I will come on my own strength and at my own time."

She felt that one should enter politics out of sense of commitment.

"But now, politics has become a profession. Now, it is no more guided by any commitment or sacrifice. In the early days of freedom struggle, people joined politics for the sake of the country. Now this kind of commitment is not visible," she said.

Asked if her father had never encouraged her to join politics, Pratibha said he had never encouraged or discouraged her.

"I did everything in my life according to my own conviction. But I am sure that my father would never forbid her from joining politics," Pratibha added.

Pratibha, who had accompanied Advani's recent Suraksha Yatra, said there was a misconception among the people sitting in Delhi, that they knew everything, the country.

"In fact, we don't know anything. We are unaware of the expectations and problems of millions of people. This we can learn only when we go among them."

"India is different from what we think during the yatra we passed through so many villages where people were faced with hunger and poverty.”

"In Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, we passed through villages where farmers are committing suicides. "

"One can commit suicides merely for want of some money is something, which shakes the conscious. It is all very painful and a matter of concern," she said.