'People criticizing me are illiterates'

Siddhartha refuses 'gyaan' from Swami

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, March 15: After triggering a huge row in the State on Saturday by commenting on Muslims and the land swap deal with Bangladesh, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy added fuel to the fire after his return to Delhi. Talking to reporters on Sunday in the capital, Swamy said those who objected to his statement were ‘illiterate’.

Swamy even criticized State BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharya for his lack of ‘dharma gyaan’, saying the latter should come to Delhi to take some lessons from him.

Reacting to Swamy’s statement, Bhattacharya said, “Swamy always hankers for cheap publicity. Due to his controversial utterances, a disturbance has been created in the State. The State BJP can never be benefitted by Swamy’s comments and it will do more harm than good,” adding, “I don’t need any ‘dharma gyaan’ from a person like Swamy.”

The State BJP president further stated that Swamy’s comments has dented the image of the party in Assam.

Earlier on Saturday, the State BJP had distanced itself from Swamy’s controversial remarks, saying these were his persol views.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday stated that the State government will ban Swamy’s entry to the State in future if he continues to make controversial statements.   

Speaking to jourlists, Swamy had said that mosques are not religious places but mere “buildings” where one prays. “So there is no problem in demolishing them. They demolish mosques even in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

He also invited the ire of organizations by allegedly ridiculing the “sentiments” of the Assamese people on the land swap deal with Bangladesh. “Foreign policies do not rest on sentiments. Go home and weep over it if you want to” he had said.