Sidelining of BJP leaders a conspiracy against Brahmins: SP

Lucknow, Mar 24:

on Monday termed "sidelining" of senior

leaders a "conspiracy" by Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh against the

community and said the party was no more in the battle for Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh due to internal bickering.

"The way in which senior leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalraj Mishra, Kesrinath Tripathi were sidelined in the party shows that there is a bigger conspiracy against the Brahmin community by BJP leaders (Narendra) Modi and (Rajnath) Singh. The BJP will be no more in fight in UP due to internal bickering," state Agriculture Minister and senior SP leader Manoj Kumar Pandey told reporters.

Pandey, who is the state president of Samajwadi Party Prabuddha Sabha, the party's intellectual wing, said though it was internal matter of BJP, he was pained at the "insult" of senior leaders in the party.

"Brahmins are not foolish. They are noticing the insult and will give their reply in elections," he said.

On the "har har Modi" slogan used by BJP workers to hail their prime ministerial nominee, Pandey said equating Modi with 'Mahadev' (Lord Shiva) was not justified and the party would have to face its repercussions in the polls.

Pandey said to garner support for SP, he would hold 11 meetings in west UP and Bundelkhand.

PTI