Bhadohi: The Congress on Thursday alleged that various yatras undertaken by spiritual `gurus` has the backing of one political party or the other, or else they are politically motivated.
"These gurus are talking politics instead of spiritualism ahead of elections...it indicates that these yatras either have the backing of some party or are politically motivated," UP Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi said. Currently spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is touring poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and yoga guru Ramdev is scheduled to campaign against Congress candidates in the polls.
Joshi, who was here in connection with preparations for Congress` poll campaign slated to start from Allahabad on November 14, told reporters that Chief Minister Mayawati was interested in garnering votes on the issue of trifurcation of the state.
She should first set up a state reorganisation committee and take the opinion of people before moving forward on this issue, Joshi said. Congress is also in favour of smaller states but only such a commission can decide as to which area should go with which state and the views of people would be important in this regard, she added.
Meanwhile, in Lucknow Lok Janshakti Party president Ram Vilas Paswan today termed the BJP yatras as mere "election stunts".
"Had BJP been really serious on the issue of corruption it would not have been indulging in politics in the name of jan swabhiman and jan chetna yatras," Paswan said.
The LJP leader said that the BJP, which is strongly advocating the Lokpal Bill could have got it passed when the NDA was in power if it was that serious. PTI