Amar Singh slams Advani for dalal salaam remark

Stung by BJP leader LK Advani's comment on "dalal (broker)" in politics, SP leader Amar Singh on Tuesday hit back at the Leader of the Opposition for making a "direct attack" on him.

"I consider that Advani has made a direct attack on me through his comment that Congress earlier did 'Lal Salaam' (a reference to Left), while now it was doing 'Dalal Salaam'," Singh told a press conference in New Delhi.

Displaying a copy of Advani's autobiography "My Country, My Life", Singh said the BJP leader had gifted him an autographed copy of the book carrying his compliments on March 21 this year. "I was not a Dalal at that time. How can I become one within three months," Singh wondered.

He accused the Left parties, BJP and BSP of trying to finish him. "But I am not the one to be cowed down. I have no fear," SP general secretary said.

He said Advani was making such remarks out of "sheer frustration" as he could not become the Prime Minister so far and said his sympathies were with the BJP leader. He said he was "very very obliged" for Advani's comments on him.

In a sarcastic rebuttal to Advani's comments, he said, "the BJP leader has proved his seniority even in case of 'dalal salam' as he was ahead of the Congress in trying to make a deal with the SP".

Singh recalled that the same BJP had come knocking at SP's door with the offer of making Mulayam Singh Yadav the Prime Minister.

He expressed surprise over CPI leader AB Bardhan's charge that MPs were being "purchased" at Rs 25 crore each by the UPA to ensure the government's victory in the confidence vote on July 22.