BJP’s Shatrughan Sinha continues to spew fire at Modi govt ahead of Gujarat elections

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president are busy in inaugurating new missions ahead of the next month's Assembly polls in Gujarat and knocking on voters' doors with a message of development, actor-turned-MP Shatrughan Sinha is continuously taking potshots on the Modi government.

The BJP politician fired a fresh salvo at the Modi government on Friday. Reacting to the news of “faulty” EVMs in UP civic polls, Sinha in his latest series of tweets, has appealed to Election Commission to be extra careful & watchful in Gujarat.

On Thursday, Sinha yet again invoked the jibe against the Prime Minister. Taking potshots at his detractors within his own party, the actor said, "If 'vakeel babu' (an allusion to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley) can speak on finance, if a TV actress can become the country's HRD minister and if a chaiwala can become... I wouldn't say any further... why can't I speak on economy,"said Sinha, according to reports by news agency IANS.

Sinha added he had been drawn towards "healthy politics" inspired by Ram Manohar Lohia, and that he had no intentions of becoming a minister.

"I was drawn towards a healthy politics inspired by Lohia. I had not come to politics with the motto of Na jiyunga na jeene dunga (I would neither live in peace myself, nor let others live in peace)," Sinha said in a clear parody to Prime Minister Modi's oft repeated Na khaoonga na khane doonga (I will neither take bribe nor let others do) remark.

"I am speaking from my heart though it is not mann ki baat because someone else has a patent for 'Mann ki Baat' (as Modi's monthly radio programme is called)," he said amid laughter.

"Some people say I speak against my own government's policies because I was not made a minister. To be honest I neither have any desire nor any expectations to become a minister. Even those who are ministers today have no standing of their own. They are busy flattering the master to save their skins and seats."

Sinha also spoke about the rise in the number of cases of people killed by Cow vigilantes killing and questioned the government's intolerance to criticism.

He said that the atmosphere in the country was such that "either you are with me or you are anti-national".

"What is happening in this country? Cow vigilantes are killing people, intellectuals, writers, journalists... and now even judges are being killed. Aaj dhan shakti jan shakti par bhari hai (Today, money power is stronger than people's power). And then if people like me come forward, we are attributed motives, we are questioned."

Sinha said that demonetisation has rendered millions jobless, factories have been shut, small traders, hawkers are out of work and GST is like neem chadha karela (bitter gourd is doubly bitter now).

The BJP politician also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi silence over the “burning” issue of the film Padmavati.

Not only this, Sinha questioned Pew report, which reportedly spoke to just 2,464 respondents in India between 21 February and 10 March this year and declared Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains “by far” the most popular figure in Indian politics.

With inputs from IANS