Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on Tuesday said the BJP could never abandon Lord Ram as Ram-rajya symbolises good governance.

"We can never forget Ram," Advani told reporters in Solapur when pointed out that during his 'Bharat Uday Yatra', he has never raised the issue of the Ram temple unlike in previous yatras.

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Even Mahatma Gandhi, when asked about good governance, had drawn a parallel between Swaraj and Ram-raj, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

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Advani, who has earlier undertaken three yatras, strongly defended them as a political instrument to create awareness among the masses.

"Yatras have a long tradition in India. Even Mahatma Gandhi embarked on a yatra from Sabarmati to Dani to mobilize opinion against the British rule," Advani said.

Complete coverage of Advani's yatra