Advani skips PM's dinner

In the midst of a bitter war of words between them, BJP leader L K Advani on Tuesday night stayed away from a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

Mr Singh and Mr Advani came face-to-face in Parliament earlier in the day at a function to commemorate the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar and shook hands briefly but it was devoid of the warmth as the prime minister went about his business greeting others and paying floral tributes to the portrait of the Dalit icon.

Mr Singh chatted with Vice President Hamid Ansari as Mr Advani sitting between the two leaders looked on. Left had already declared that they won���t attend the dinner.