Danseuse Mallika Sarabhai to take on Advani

TAKING THE LEAD: Mallika Sarabhai has been a vocal critic of Narendra Modi since the 2002 riots.

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Ahmedabad: Noted danseuse Mallika Sarabhai on Wednesday said she has decided to take on senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LKAdvani from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

"I have decided to contest the Lok Sabha poll from Gandhinagar constituency," she said.

Sarabhai, a leading exponent of Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi, has been a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi government since post-Godhra riots in 2002.

Congress has still not declared its candidate against the BJP's prime ministerial candidate. However, Congress leadership has maintained the party will field a local candidate, unlike in 1999 when it had nominated former chief election commissioner TN Seshan from the seat.

The dancer was the first to file a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court against the Modi government's alleged role in the post-Godhra riots.

During the riots, she had called a peace meeting at Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram where Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar was also present. The BJP workers had attacked the meeting in which Patkar and several journalists were injured.

Subsequently, the state government had slapped a case of alleged human trafficking against Sarabhai alleging she was illegally taking people to the US under the guise of cultural programmes of her academy Natarani.

However, the court discharged Sarabhai, daughter of dancing legend Mrinalini and renowned space scientist Vikram Sababhai, in the case and dismissed all allegations against her.