Film star-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha on Monday alleged that the Samajwadi Party had entered into a deal with the Congress over the nuclear issue to shore up the fortunes of a few individuals.
"The deal behind the deal between the Congress and the SP, brokered by a seasoned political manager, is obviously aimed at shoring up fortunes of the politician and his cine star-friend," Sinha said.
The reference was apparently to high-profile SP General Secretary Amar Singh and superstar Amitabh Bachchan though Sinha, talking to PTI by telephone from Patna, did not take their names.
"The SP leader had earlier served his interest and his millennium star and his family by showering rewards and largesse on them. And now, he will leave no stone unturned in getting personal benefits for the group as the price for bailing out the United Progressive Alliance government," he said.
Affectionately called 'Bihari Babu', Sinha said the 'good old days' in Uttar Pradesh, witnessed during the Mulayam Singh Yadav regime, were set to return.
The BJP leader also took a swipe at Rashtriya Janata Dal President Lalu Prasad for 'acting as an expert on the nuclear issue and shouting on top of his voice to defend the Indo-US deal'.
"Lalu is acting as an expert without any expertise on such a complicated subject," Sinha, who was a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, said.
He added that the nuclear deal was against the national interest as it would take away India's right to conduct nuclear tests.
More from rediff