Suspended leader Vijay Bahadur says his statement was not anti-BSP

Suspended Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Vijay Singh Bahadur defended himself today over his statement on Narendra Modi and said that he hasn't committed any violation of party norms on this matter.

"When I made this statement I made it clear that this is my personal view. I did not represent nor do I have the authorization to represent as the spokesperson of BSP. My personal view is, if a man feels pain, if the dog is hurt, it shows that he is sensitive and has compassion for human beings. This is my statement," he said.

Singh also refuted his party's remarks which stated that his statements were no longer in sync with the party lines.

"I still feel this statement is not anti-BSP. I had no intention in giving this statement to malign my party nor was there any party notice for any direction issued I am not supposed to open my mouth in this matter," he said.

Earlier today, Vijay Bahadur Singh was expelled from his party for defending Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's controversial 'puppy' remark.

Singh on July 13, defended Narendra Modi's 'puppy' statement and claimed that Modi's statement was 100 percent right and it is in the favour of the nation. He further added that those who are opposing it are anti-nationals.

Narendra Modi came under sharp criticism from a lot of parties over his puppy analogy where he made a statement that if he is sitting in the backseat and even if a puppy is run over by the car, he will feel sad. He made the statement in an interview where he was asked about incidents which occurred during the 2002 Gujarat riots and claimed that he had done "absolutely the right thing" and described himself as a "Hindu nationalist".