Sandeep Pandey brands BJP anti-national

LUCKNOW: “It is not me but the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) that is anti-national,� shot back Sandeep Pandey, the Magsaysay Award winner, here on Saturday.
He was talking to mediapersons and his rejoinder came in reply to the statements issued in Kanpur by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), terming him anti-national and demanding his arrest under Pota.
Pandey said that it was only because he had been opposing certain policies of the BJP government that he was tagged as anti-national.Elaborating, he said that he and his fellow social activists were quite vocal against the Pokharan tests on grounds that such weapons of destruction claim the lives of innocents. He said that he would never oppose increase in military strength but still the BJP and its other outfits call him anti-India. He clarified that he had never supported the ISI. He said that he was against the manner in which the ISI in India and the Indian intelligence agency, Raw in Pakistan were master-minding destructions. The Magsaysay award winner insisted that the politicians of the two counteries do not have the right to exploit the Kashmir issue for political gains.
Coming down heavily on the BJP government, Pandey said that the agreement which the government had reached on the Enron issue had provisions that India would pledge each and everything it has except the armed forces if the need be. He said that the government at present was working under the pressure of the World Bank.
Replying to a question, Sandeep raised serious objection over the manner in which photographs of semi-nude women were being published prominently on the pages of the newspapers. He said that he met the governor recently and apprised him of the issue. “But even his response was not encouraging,� the former professor of IIT, Kanpur said.
Sandeep said that he plans to lead a walk from Delhi to Lahore. “I believe it would not be possible till the government in Delhi is that of BJP as it would spring up hurdles,� Sandeep said.