Swami Prasad Maurya's daughter, a BJP MP, slams party over 'double standard'

BJP Lok Sabha member Sanghamitra Maurya, the daughter of former UP minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who had resigned from the saffron party and joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) a few days back, has slammed her party over what she termed 'double standard' on the resignation of her father and inclusion of Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav into the BJP.

''Barely a week back a daughter was attacked when her father changed party and when a daughter-in-law (Aparna Yadav) is welcomed by the same party (BJP),'' Sanghamitra, an MP from Badayun Lok Sabha seat, said.

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''Should this (double standard) be also seen in terms of caste?....the daughter (Sanghamitra) hails from backward caste and the daughter-in-law (Aparna) belongs to forward caste,'' she added.

Maurya also said that if a member of a forward caste joined the BJP then he was considered a 'nationalist' but the same was not extended to someone who came from a backward caste even though he was also a member of the same party.

''Do the daughters and sisters also have caste and religion?'' she asked.

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Sanghamitra also told her critics in the BJP not to give her 'advice' on what she should be doing after her father's exit from the saffron party. ''Don't tell me what I should do and where I should go....I am quite happy with wherever I am,'' she added.

Her sharp reaction came after some BJP leaders apprehended that she could also leave the saffron party and join the rival party.

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