Patna: Dismissing Muslim minority's aversion for the BJP in the country, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha today said he has much larger acceptability in Pakistan and other Islamic countries than many of the “pseudo-seculars”.
“I have seen enthusiasm among Muslims also for me,” Sinha, who is in race from Patna Sahib seat, which is witnessing voting today, told PTI.
“I have much more acceptability in Pakistan and other Islamic countries than many of these pseudo-seculars,” Sinha said after casting vote at a school near his residence here.
Sinha enjoys close ties with the family of former Pakistan President Gen Zia-ul-Haq whose daughter Zen Zia regards him as her brother and ties “rakhi” every year.
He, however, launched a scathing attack on Congress and others “so-called secular parties” who “befool” Muslims by bringing names of Narendra Modi and the BJP to seek their votes.
“The same politics was played in my Patna Sahib seat also against me but I do not think it yielded any benefit to them,” he said. Asked about reports of “tussle” between him and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad over ticket from Patna Sahib seat, he said “I am not aware if Prasad whose four year is left in Rajya Sabha was interested from Patna Sahib”. “I am fond of Ravi Shankar Prasad. There is no difference between us,” he said.
Sinha said “some party leaders asked him to contest from Delhi instead of Patna Sahib on which I had told them that Patna Sahib seat is my first, second and last choice and they accepted it and gave me ticket from my native place”. Earlier. while going to exercise his vote, Sinha told reporters that the present Lok Sabha would throw a “revolutionary” results in favour of BJP.
Asked about Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD President Lalu Prasad fate in the polls, Sinha uttered his pet dialogue “khamosh” before zooming past mediapersons.
