Promoting personality cult by BJP dangerous: Anand Sharma

Union Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma Monday said the BJP's individual personality promotion of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is dangerous for parliamentary democracy.

"Projection of Modi above the party is an ominous warning of increasing authoritarianism in the country and the entire campaign of the BJP is focused around him. This is a serious threat to parliamentary culture," Sharma told reporters here.

The Congress leader said through an aggressive and systematic campaign, a personality cult around one individual has been created which would lead to dictatorship and concentration of power.

Sharma said the BJP was spending an amount in excess of Rs.10,000 crore for the entire ad campaign and the Election Commission should take cognizance of the issue by probing as to whose money was it and from where it came.

Taking a dig at Modi for claiming in Varanasi that he was sent by god, Sharma questioned the necessity of elections.

"It is an insult to 125 crore people of India. When god has already sent Modi to become prime minister, why should we hold the elections at all?"