BJP's comments on Ansari smack of communalism: Samajwadi Party

Taking strong exception to BJP's comments that Vice-President Hamid Ansari does not have the stature to become President, Samajwadi Party today said such statements reek of "communalism".

Taking strong exception to BJP's comments that Vice-President Hamid Ansari does not have the stature to become President, Samajwadi Party on Tuesday said such statements reek of "communalism".

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"Who has the stature to be President cannot be judged by the yardstick of BJP. The statement of Sushma Swaraj has elements of communalism," SP leader Mohan Singh told PTI.

Ruling out any support to BJP for presidential candidate, he said party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav will take a call on the issue at an "appropriate moment".

Talking to reporters yesterday, Swaraj had said Ansari did not have the stature to be President and hence BJP will not support him.

BJP has ruled out supporting Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Ansari or any other candidate who may be put up by the Congress but is open to supporting anyone chosen by the non-Congress parties.