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Vajpayee, others felicitate Shekhawat

Lauding Shekhawat for undertaking measures for helping the poor and the needy, the prime minister said his 'Food for Work' programme will always be remembered.

Recalling his association with Shekhawat for over 50 years, Vajpayee lauded the courage with which Shekhawat as the Jana Sangh leader took part in eradicating the jagirdari system of landownership. In spite of belonging to Rajasthan, where aristocracy moorings are strong, Shekhawat also played a role in reducing the incomes of the erstwhile rajas.

Vajpayee said that while many fled the scene during this revolution, Shekhawat stood his ground. "You emerged from mud and became the sandalwood to be applied on the forehead," he told the vice-president.

"You are also a very capable administrator and a representative of farmers," he said, referring to Shekhawat's stint as chief minister of Rajasthan.

He also said the former chief minister was among the first to implement the Antyodaya scheme for the poorest citizens of the country. "You are also a brave person, who is prepared to face any odds in your political life," the prime minister said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav had his own style of felicitating Shekhawat. Congratulating him for occupying the high office, Yadav said he was fortunate to be out of Bharatiya Janata Party at the right moment. "The party with which you were associated will very soon cease to exist," Yadav said in the presence of Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani.

Yadav reminded Shekhawat that he was no longer in the Jana Sangh, the BJP, or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The former Bihar chief minister said the opposition parties will raise the issue of communal tension in the House. "We believe you will grant us some time," he said.

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