Rahul no match to Modi's popularity: Shatrughan Sinha

Senior BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha today said Rahul Gandhi was no match to the popularity of Narendra Modi and mocked at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for saying Modi will be "disastrous" for the country.

"Rahul Gandhi is like a 'band mutthi' (closed fist) and is no match to Narendra Modi whose popularity is at the peak at this moment," Sinha, Patna Saheb MP, told PTI.

"Modi, who has scored hat-trick in a crucial state like Gujarat, has a proven track record of good governance and his popularity is at the peak at this moment which Rahul Gandhi or anybody else cannot match," the actor-turned-politician said.

He termed the Prime Minister's assertions that Rahul Gandhi has "outstanding credentials" for the top job as his "night dreaming" which could not be translated into reality.

"lets pray the night dreaming of the PM does not become a horror for the nation," he said.

On Singh's views that Modi as PM will be "disastrous" for the country, Sinha said it does not sound convincing from a person who has brought "disgrace" for the country occupying the top post for 10 years.

A Gujarat court recently gave clean chit to Modi in the 2002 riots case and "today he is an accepted and respected leader of the country," he added.

Sinha, who was here for a party review meeting over preparation for the coming general elections in his Patna Saheb seat, praised the Aam Admi Party (AAP) and wished his own party learnt some points from the debutante party, which has caught people's imagination for its honesty and transparency, in a true "sportsman spirit"

"AAP's zero to hero success story is an eye opener for many parties," Sinha, popularly known as the "Bihari Babu", said.

Hailing top leaders of the AAP including Arvind Kejriwal, he said the party should be given time to perform before passing judgement on their performance.

Sinha, who has on a number of occasions described veteran BJP leader l K Advani as his "mentor and guru", said the senior party leader would have a "crucial" role in the coming lok Sabha elections.

"Advaniji is a father figure of the party and his role will always be crucial in ensuring victory of the BJP in the coming lok Sabha elections," Sinha, who served as Union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee's NDA government, said.

Sinha exuded confidence that BJP would perform well in Bihar in the coming Parliamentary polls.

He said BJP has always fought for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden and enjoys considerable support at the grassroot level in Bihar, which has 40 lok Sabha seats.