BJP asks Shatrughan to pipe down

BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha has been asked by the party high command to restrain himself and told him that his comments against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and in favour of his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar, who has snapped ties with NDA, is harming the party's interest.

BJP sources said party president Rajnath Singh has asked Sinha not to speak against Modi or praise Kumar. Sinha is likely to pipe down and toe the party line in the coming days.

Meanwhile, BJP countered Sinha's statement that if popularity is the criteria then actor Amitabh Bachchan should be made the president of India.

'Reel life and real life are different. The popularity in one is different from the popularity enjoyed in the other. In reel life, there is no doubt that Amitabh Bachchan is popular but in real life Modi enjoys huge popularity,' BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters.

Sinha had made the popularity remark to counter Singh's oft-repeated comments that Modi is the most popular leader in the country.

Sinha has caused embarassed to BJP in the last few days with a series of comments. He had described Nitish Kumar as 'PM material' which had irked his party as the JD(U) leader walked out of NDA when Modi was elevated as BJP's Election Campaign Committee chief. Kumar had strongly indicated to BJP that he is opposed to Modi being made the PM candidate.

Many within BJP feel Sinha has got away without any disciplinary action as he invokes senior leader L K Advani while hitting out at Modi.

While commenting on Bachchan being very popular, Sinha had also said Advani should be the PM candidate. In a recent interview, Sinha had said Modi cannot become PM candidate without Advani's blessings.