Bhopal: lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar on Thursday took a swipe at Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) candidate from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, saying that just because a person dresses like a saint doesn't mean the person is a sant as Ravana who came to abduct Sita was also dressed like a saint.
In a press conference, Akhtar said, "Don't go by her appearance. Just because a person looks like a saint doesn't mean the person is a saint. Don't forget that when Ravana came to abduct Sita, he too was dressed like a saint.
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Saying that Saffron Party’s selection of candidate shows the party thinks the people of Bhopal are insignificant, the lyricist said: "BJP is full of good people. Yet she is what you chose for Bhopal? You should have looked for a place which is inhabited by illiterate, communal people and made her contest from there."
Akhtar also asserted that a democracy can only flourish if there is a clear demarcation between the state and religion. He saidm "It is your religion. Keep it to yourself and be happy. Don't mix it with politics. You can pick up a world and see that in the countries where state and religion work together, democracy can never work. Look at the Middle-East and Latin America.”
BJP candidate from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur is among the seven accused, facing trial in Malegaon blast case in which six people were killed and a dozen others were injured.