By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net
Bhopal: Sharad Yadav, president of Janata Dal (United), has taken exception to Bollywood superstar Big B Amitabh Bachchan being described as the ‘Star of the Millenium’.
Talking to newsmen here, Yadav said only political leaders could create history and not film stars.
Meanwhile, Yadav has demanded immediate arrest of all the seven ‘Babas’ (spiritual Hindu saints) exposed in a TV channel’s sting operation offering to launder black money on commission through their respective endowment trusts.
He expressed apprehension that the tainted “Babas” might be involved in multi-billion Hawala rackets, so they should be subjected to rigorous interrogation.
The seven spiritual men caught on camera are Pilot Baba, Vedanti Maharaj, Kirit Maharaj, Swami Suryam Namboodiri, Swami Pragyanand, Acharya Pramod and Baba Anil Joshi.
Yadav whose party is the second largest constituent of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after rightist Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), is the first top politician to demand arrest of the spiritual gurus.
The JD (U) president asked when the 13 Members of Parliament caught in sting operations had been later disqualified why these `Babas’ are not being arrested?
“Are the prime minister, the finance minister and the enforcement directorate sleeping,” he wondered.
Vowing to pursue the issue at all possible level, the former federal minister said these ‘spiritual leaders’ have violated faith of the people in the name of spiritualism and religion.
On post-poll scenario in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav ruled out possibility of alliance with any party, adding in case the NDA failed to garner a majority in the UP election, the alliance would prefer to sit in the opposition and seek a fresh mandate as it did in Bihar.
The JD(U) leader on campaigning by film stars said that star shows could not lead to the development of the State. Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls lost its seriousness because of presence of film stars, he averred.
He said the presence of film stars pushed the public-related issues like road, water, power, unemployment, law and order to the backburner.
Yadav pointed out that barring Tamil Nadu film stars had failed to convert visiting crowd into votes. The JD(U) had proved this in Bihar and Jharkhand in the areas where it had influence. He said film stars had a different work area and should not be used for campaigning during elections.