Javed Akhtar campaigns for Kanhaiya in Begusarai

ted poet and Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar on Tuesday disapproved of Congress leer Navjot Singh Sidhu urging Muslims to unite and vote against BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that a mind occupied with ones religious identity can never make an informed political choice.

dressing an election meeting here, Akhtar who did t mention Punjab minister by name but dropped ample hints to suggest that he was speaking about former test cricketer and said, "I do t expect much from m (BJP) who believe in mixing politics with religion. But you cant speak this langu when you are swearing by secularism."

Sidhu, who me remarks earlier this month at a rally in Katihar, has been banned for 72 hours by Election Commission of India as a punitive measure.

Akhtar, who was here to campaign in favour of CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar, said, "We must keep it in mind that wherever religion is mixed with politics, human rights and civil liberties become first casualty. Look at any part of world Middle East, Europe or Latin America and you would find a similar trend."

Training his guns at BJP, he said, "You profess to champion cause of Hindus. Do you t realize that among country's homeless, unemployed and poor Hindus outnumber or communities? What do you have to offer to m except promise of building a temple somewhere?"

Scoffing at party that has been in power for five years, Akhtar an avowed rationalist and aist remarked BJP is a peculiar outfit. All or political parties, be y Leftist ones or those subscribing to any or ideology, have a frontal organization which may have its or wings. Here, party itself is just a wing that of RSS.

And what has been RSS and its history. y, along with Mohd Ali Jinnah's Muslim League, were biggest collaborators of British when struggle for Independence was underway. We need to understand ir dislike for Nehru. Muslim League, which was traitor like RSS, got its reward with a separate country to rule in form of Pakistan. se people got thing, Akhtar remarked sarcastically.

You deride country's liberals with labels like 'tukde tukde' gang and descendants of Macaulay. se epits fit you best since you want to divide country into sectarian lines and it is you who have been responsible for executing British idea of two-nation ory, Akhtar who is married to actress Shabana Azmi daughter of rewned poet and a card-carrying Leftist Kaifi Azmi alleged.

Taking a dig at Giriraj Singh, who is BJP candidate from here, he said, "This gentleman asks all those who are opposed to Modi to go to Pakistan. In 2014, when Modi's popularity was at its peak, 31 percent h voted for him which means even n 69 percent of Indians were against him."

If Giriraj Singh's vice is taken seriously by such Indians, Pakistan's population would rise manifold and people will t find eugh on its soil to stand.

He also said Kanhaiya, a former JNU students union president who is facing a sedition charge, is paying price for standing up for truth and asked voters of Begusarai if you are thinking of t voting for young man, vote for Giriraj inste of wasting your vote on Tanveer Hassan (RJD candidate).

Say Assalam Aleikum ( Islamic form of greeting) to Giriraj and tell him you are voting for him. That way he would at least be grateful to you. If you vote for Tanveer, he will win anyway. But he would t give you any credit for that eir, said Akhtar at meeting where acemician-turned-political activist Yogendra Yav was among those present.