New York: Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government has brought political stability to the country, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani has said the party has put the nation on the path to real progress with the aim of ensuring that it takes its place among developed nations by the year 2020.

Between 1988 and 1998, the country had seven Prime Ministers but for last seven years Atal Behari Vajpayee is leading the country which vindicates the polices his government is following, Advani told more than 500 cheering Indian Americans on June 13.

Stating this showed political stability, he expressed confidence that Vajpayee would lead the country even after next year's general elections.

At a meeting organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in association with more than a dozen Indian American associations, he said Indians along with NRIs have the talent, tenacity, capability and capacity to ensure that the 21st century belongs to India like the last one belonged to Britain, the United States, Russia and Japan.

Advani was speaking after lighting a lamp at a simple but impressive ceremony to inaugurate the centenary celebrations of Lok Nayak Jaya Prakash Narayan in the United States and unveiling his statuette and a portrait of India's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

His much-anticipated press conference on June 13 was cancelled a few hours before it was to be held.

PTI