Chandigarh: BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha on Sunday
trashed the comparison made by a US magazine between Congress
leader Rahul Gandhi and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi,
saying there was "no match" between the two and no one stands
even close to the saffron leader.
"He (Modi) is a man of stature, great standing and one who
has ensured all round development of Gujarat and brought glory
and shine to the state...in true sense of the word he is a
`Vikas Purush`," Sinha said while addressing a meet-the-press
programme here this evening.
Sinha was asked to comment on an article in US` Time
Magazine on Modi, with the Gujarat Chief Minister featuring on
its cover page.
Time magazine, in its March 26 issue, published an
article on the Modi, with the heading: "Modi means business",
along with a strap: "But can he lead India?”
When asked about comparison between Congress General
Secretary Rahul Gandhi and Modi, Sinha said, "there is no
match...no one stands even close to Modi in terms of his
total personality".
The actor-turned-politician felt that Modi has all the
qualities which make him a top leader, but at the same time he
added he also holds senior leader L K Advani in high esteem
and the ageing BJP leader has carved a place of his own.
"He (Advani) is a statesman, mature and there to guide
us all....there are other leaders too like Arun Jaitley,
Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari," he said.
When asked about the leader who will lead BJP in the next
parliamentary elections, the cine star said "let the time come
first, a collective decision will be taken".
During the course of his reply, Sinha could not help
avoid the feeling of not being given his due in the party.
"Mere pass koyee pad naheen hein, but kad hein (I do
not hold any post, but I am a man of stature," said Sinha.
While youth should be promoted in the party, there was no
substitute for the experienced leaders, he said.
Shatrughan slammed the Union Budget and the Railway
Budget, saying though he was not an expert to comment on
these, but as a common man, he feels they will add to the
burden of ordinary citizens.
"These are the last two budgets which the UPA will
present. The Government is in a suicidal mode and will fall
under its own weight...the BJP or NDA does not want mid-term
or early elections, but if it falls on its own we can`t help,"
Sinha, the Patna sahib, said.
He also said that in the next parliamentary elections,
the BJP will go with its tried and trusted allies.
"In our eyes, no one is untouchable. But one thing is
clear, we will not enter into any opportunistic alliance,"
Sinha said.
When a reporter asked what would be the BJP`s strategy
as reports suggest that Congress was cosying up with the
Samajwadi Party, Sinha said, "they feel Mamata (Trinamool) may
slip out of their hands and may be thinking about having some
back up".
To another question, the BJP leader praised Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister and SP leader, Akhilesh Yadav.
"He is a wonderful boy," he said, adding the saffron
party feels that people voted in numbers for the SP thinking
that the Mulayam Singh Yadav led outfit could take the
Mayawati led BSP head on.
"Also, Akhilesh had good image, his media management was
good, they had good cadre, his father`s (Mulayam`s) strategy
was good, team work was good and certainly Mulayam Singh is
one of the best politicians in the country and he is there to
guide him (Akhilesh), who is one of the best boys having a
forward looking approach," Sinha said heaping praise on the UP
Chief Minister.
Sinha said he was on a two-day visit to Punjab, where
his daughter Sonakshi Sinha is shooting for a film.
PTI
