NEWS
ANALYSIS
SPECIALS
INTERVIEW
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
CONSTITUENCY
ISSUES
GALLERY
MANIFESTOS
INDIA SPEAKS!
COUNTDOWN
CHAT
PREVIOUS RESULTS
SCHEDULE
DISCUSSION GROUP

BJP has used priests and saints: Sakshi Maharaj

Former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sakshi Maharaj, who is now heading a rebellion against the party in certain pockets of Uttar Pradesh, has said he wants to destroy the BJP.

Sakshi Maharaj, who is considered close to Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, was denied a ticket by the party to contest the current parliamentary election and he has since extended his support to the Samajwadi Party in the state.

In an interview to Star TV, Sakshi Maharaj, claimed that had he used Kalyan Singh's influence he could have easily secured a ticket. ''Lekin maine veto nahi lagane diya Kalyan Singhji ko,'' (I did not force Kalyan Singh to use his veto.)

Accusing the BJP of exploiting priests and saints, Sakshi Maharaj said he had now vowed to destroy the party.

He did not think that Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav was using him. ''Istemal karna to BJP ko aata hai. Desh ke lakhon sadhu-sanyasion to istemal karke, aur phir doodh mei se makhi ki tarah nikal kar phenk diya.'' (It is the BJP which knows how to use people. After exploiting lakhs of priests and saints, it discarded them like one throws a fly out of a cup of milk.)

Sakshi Maharaj claimed that using his vote base of seven to eight per cent, he would make the BJP lose its deposit in many places in Uttar Pradesh.

While stating that he still supported the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Sakshi Maharaj said that this should be done through a mutual understanding between the two communities or by a court order.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report