Kolkata. Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shatrughan Sinha believes that agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are “autocratic” in nature by the BJP-led central government. greatest ally”. Actor-turned-politician former Union Minister Sinha is contesting the bypoll from Asansol Lok Sabha constituency on a Trinamool Congress ticket. He had joined the Congress after being in the BJP for decades. He said he does not have “personal” differences against Prime Minister Narendra Modi but political differences are unlikely to be resolved in the near future. Known as ‘Shotgun’ among fans for his outspokenness, Sinha avoided giving direct answers on the reasons for leaving the Congress.
“Sometimes you have to take a new direction to move in the right direction,” he said. Sinha also rejected the tag of “outsider” given to him by his opponents. He said he was “no less Bengali than any other Bengali.” Sinha told PTI-Bhasha in an interview, “Without understanding the political opportunism, they (BJP) are making such allegations. I think it has ceased to be a party formed by late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and has become an autocratic organization. She uses CBI, ED and Income Tax Department to settle accounts with her political opponents.”
He said the BJP no longer had allies as most of them had left the National Democratic Alliance. So these central agencies are his biggest allies, more honest than Raja. Expressing gratitude to Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee for giving him an opportunity to serve the people, Sinha said, “I have no personal differences against Prime Minister Modi. The differences are purely political…if we could have resolved the political differences, I would not have been with TMC today.”
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In a tone of criticism of the Congress, Sinha (76) said that many promises were made at the time of inducting him into the party which were not fulfilled. “The Congress is passing through a crisis phase and I think this is not the right time to sprinkle salt on their wounds. I don’t want to create any more confusion. Sometimes you have to take a new direction to move forward in the right direction.”
The former Union minister also called for joining hands with the opposition to defeat the BJP. “I think Mamata is best suited to lead such a front,” he said.
Sinha will face BJP’s Agnimitra Paul in the Asansol Lok Sabha bypolls to be held on April 12. Counting of votes will take place on April 16. (agency)