Sadhus, saints have right to decide who they want as PM, BJP talks tough with JD-U

Allahabad, Feb. 3 (ANI): Taking on its core ally partner, the Janata Dal- United (JD-U), over the prime ministerial row, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said the holy men and saints of this country have every right to decide about who they want as the prime minister of the country, not the terrorists like Hafiz Saeed.

BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi was responding to a question over JD-U spokesperson Shivanand Tiwari's statement that sadhus (holy men) will not decide the prime ministerial candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Tiwari had made this statement amid mounting speculations that the BJP may announce Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's name as it prime ministerial candidate for 2014 general elections after with leaders of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other saints at Kumbh Mela here.

"It is ridiculous statement, will Hafiz Saeed decide about the Prime Minister of India, if the holy men and saints will not decide? Some people are so motivated with pseudo secularism that they don't understand the difference between nationalism and communalism," said Naqvi.

"The BJP doesn't believe in destructive politics, we don't want to break our ties, because it is very easy to break the coalition, but very difficult to for. As far the announcement of the prime ministerial candidate is concerned, neither the BJP nor the ally partners have any confusion. We will take an appropriate decision at a suitable time," he added.

However he said that Modi is the most capable and famous leader in the party, as his popularity has been gradually gaining a countrywide appeal.

Referring to Shivanand Tiwari's remark, another BJP leader Balbir Punj said that the party, which took instructions from Muslim clerics on various issues, had no right to make such a comment.

"A party, which has been listening to Shahi Imam (chief cleric of historic Delhi mosque), and other (Muslim) clerics on various issues, they have absolutely no right to say that Sadhus (Hindu holy men), saints have no business to decide about the prime minister of the country," said Balbir Punj.

JD-U has been opposing Modi for his 'communal past', blaming him for the Gujarat communal riots in 2002.

Bihar Chief Minster Nitish Kumar has expressed his displeasure and sentiments against Modi's candidature so many times in past. (ANI)