Shatrughan joins opposition leaders at Kolkata rally\, says not afraid if BJP removes him

Shatrughan joins opposition leaders at Kolkata rally, says not afraid if BJP removes him

Press Trust of India  |  Kolkata 

Sharing the stage with opposition leaders in Kolkata, disgruntled Saturday called for changing the government in the 2019 election and said he was not afraid of being removed from the ruling party.

He insisted he would continue to "show mirror" to the party and call "a spade a spade".

Sinha has been at odds with his party over several issues and has criticised the demonetisation exercise and the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax. He has said he was attending the rally hosted by in Kolkata as a of the Rashtra Manch, a group launched by former

"My elder brother was saying that after this I will be definitely removed from the party, I told him 'koi baat nahi hai' (no problem)," he said at the rally attended by several opposition leaders, including from the and the RJD.

Known for his powerful dialogues in Hindi movies, Sinha said, "He is in but before that he is with Bharat ki janata."

Two days ago, Sinha had said he did not receive "respect" in the BJP and will attend the Kolkata rally, which was being projected as a show of strength by anti-BJP political parties.

Sinha was called to make his speech after several senior leaders such as former H D Deve Gowda, Sharad Pawar, and chief ministers H D Kumaraswami, N and had made their speech.

He spoke at length and attacked the on the controversial fighter jet deal, demonetisation and implementation of GST.

"If you keep suppressing facts, people will continue to say 'chaukidar chor hain'," he said, using the word has been employing to criticise the on the jet deal issue.

Sinha praised Banerjee, Gandhi, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav and

Sinha, who served as a in the NDA cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said there was "lokshahi" during Vajpayee's tenure and now it's "tanashahi" (dictatorship).

He urged all leaders present at the dais to walk together to usher a change in the country and facilitate a new leadership to take over.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sat, January 19 2019. 18:10 IST