Wednesday, April 5 2006 14:09 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and party President Rajnath Singh today (Apr 5, 2006) called on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to seek his 'blessings' before setting out on their 'Bharat Suraksha Yatra' tomorrow in an apparent attempt to set at rest speculation that Vajpayee was not enthusiastic about the tour.

Rajnath Singh, who accompanied Advani to Vajpayee's home, told reporters that the former Prime Minister wished both of them success as they leave Delhi for two simultaneous yatras.

Originally named 'Bharat Ekta Yatra', planned by Advani in the wake of last month's bomb blasts in Varanasi, the event was rechristened as 'Bharat Suraksha Yatra'.

"Both Advani and I met Vajpayee and had his blessings. He wished us success and good health," Singh, who first drove down to his predecessor's home, said.

The BJP chief, flanked by party leaders Venkaiah Naidu, Prakash Javadekar and Ravi Shankar Prasad, is scheduled to hit the road tomorrow from Bhubaneswar after offeringprayers at the Jagannath temple in Puri where he arrives today.

Advani, who leaves for Dwarka today, is scheduled to begin his yatra, sixth in his political career, tomorrow from Rajkot after offering prayers at the Dwarakadheesh temple and paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

The event, the party says, will seek to raise 'awareness' about, what it calls, the risks the country faces from the ruling UPA's 'politics of minorityism'.

However, news reports, which Vajpayee denied, had suggested that the former Prime Minister did not support Advani's idea of a new yatra at this juncture.

"The speculation about conversation between Advani and me is baseless. I wish them (Advani and Singh) all success (in their yatra)," Vajpayee said in a brief statement yesterday, dismissing as baseless reports about his differences with Advani's plans.