Advani calls RSS his second family

New Delhi, Nov. 8 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran Lal Krishna Advani on Tuesday touted the Hindu right wing group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as his second family.

Advani became emotional during his 84th birth anniversary celebration here when senior BJP leaders talked at length about his political lineage.

Advani said that he was very fortunate to receive love and respect from two families, one his personal family and the RSS being his ideological family.

"I believe that I have been very fortunate throughout my life that I became a Swayamsevak (volunteer) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at the age of 14, and during its the early days, it was propagated that RSS is a family," said Advani.

"There are a few, who are fortunate enough to receive much love and respect from both the families like I have received since my childhood," he added.

A visibly moved Advani also defended his emotional display as his long-standing trait.

"Some people must have noticed that I had tears in my eyes. Earlier I used to be unable to understand that if somebody used to criticise me then I used to feel sad or someone used to praise me, even then I used to have tears in my eyes. I pondered over this many times that even when someone is praising me then why do I have tears in my eyes?" said Advani.

"Later, I remember having read and article in Readers' Digest on this that there are some people who have emotional excess whether it is of sorrow or happiness, they only react with tears in their eyes," he added.

Senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Rajnath Singh, who graced the function, lauded Advani for his long and eventful political life

Advani took a break from his nationwide "Jan Chetna Yatra" to celebrate his birthday with his near and dear ones in New Delhi.

The BJP veteran, who turned 84 today, will now resume his anti-corruption yatra from Rajasthan on Wednesday. Advani will land in Jodhpur by a special plane on Wednesday to board his "Jan Chetna Rath".

Advani kicked off his nationwide tour from Sitab Diara village in Bihar on October 11, to take on the UPA Government on the corruption issue and press for return of black money stashed away abroad.

The 38-day long yatra will conclude in Delhi on November 20 in the form of a massive rally. (ANI)