I am Brahmin, I can't be 'chowkidar': Subramanian Swamy

BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has given a twist to party's 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' campaign saying he cannot be chowkidar because he is a Brahmin.

As a response to a question in an interview to a Tamil channel, Swamy said "I am Brahmin, I cannot be a chowkidar. Brahmins can't be chowkidars. I do give directions to Chowkidar."

This response came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other party leaders added prefix 'Chowkidar' with their name on Twitter. The campaign aims to counter the Opposition slogan 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' referring to Modi's inaugural speech after he became prime minister in 2014, in which he claimed he is a Chowkidar (security) of the country. The Opposition alleged his role in getting Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence as an offset partner in the inter-governmental Rafale deal with France.

Encashing Chowkidar into votes, Modi himself began the "Main Bhi Chowkidar" campaign and later he added Chowkidar with his name, that was followed by BJP leaders including his cabinet colleagues such as Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari etc and party workers.

Subramanian Swamy is one of the few BJP leaders has not added the prefix with his name on Twitter. Swamy's response also shows the existing caste mentality in the country.

'Anti-Brahmin plot'

Explaining his stand Swamy said it is part of the anti-Brahmin campaign from anti-national forces based on a truncated statement.

"I happy my truncated statement of being a Brahmin has smoked out the clandestine anti Brahmin embedded campaign financed by anti national forces. Some have paid patronage of the unelectable parasites in BJP who out of panic and fear of the future rising Hindutva, are screaming," Swamy tweeted.