Swami Agnivesh is a 'fraud', planned attack himself to gain popularity, claims Jharkhand Minister

Ranchi, July 18: Jharkhand's Urban Development Minister C P Singh on Wednesday claimed that Swami Agnivesh was a fraud whom he knew for the last 40 years.

Singh, who belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Swami Agnivesh is a person who survives on foreign donations.

"The saffron dress that he wears is to deceive the simple Indians. He is a fraud and not a Swami", Singh added.

The statement comes a day after Agnivesh, the 79-year social activist, was thrashed and verbally abused in Jharkhand's Pakur town by a mob. He was allegedly attacked by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and ABVP members at Pakur in Jharkhand for his "anti-Hindu" stance.

"As soon as I came out of the venue, BJYM and ABVP activists attacked me without any provocation. They alleged that I was speaking against Hindus," he told PTI.

"I thought Jharkhand was a peaceful state, but my views have changed after this incident," he told.

Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das has ordered a probe into the matter.