Shatru faces 'friendly fire' in Lucknow

Film actor Shatrughan Sinha, who joined the Congress recently and was nominated from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat in Bihar, on Friday came in for sharp criticism from the Congress candidate from Lucknow Lok Sabha seat and was termed as an ''RSS man''.

Congress nominee Acharya Pramod Krishnam alleged that both Shatrughan and his wife Poonam Sinha, who was in the fray from Lucknow as a Samajwadi Party (SP) nominee, continued to be in the RSS.

''They (Shatru and Poonam) have not yet left the RSS...Shatrughan Sinha is also friendly with Rajnath Singh,'' Krishnam said. Singh is the BJP nominee from Lucknow.

He also accused Shatrughan of ''betraying'' the trust of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. ''He may have joined the Congress but his soul is still with the BJP,'' the Congress candidate said.

Shatrughan, who had earlier joined his wife's roadshow in the state capital before she filed her nomination papers, had then also invited criticism from Krishnam for ''preferring'' wife to the party.

''Shatrughan Sinha should campaign for the party....he must follow the party dharma,'' Krishnam said here.

The Bollywood actor turned politician, however, had defended his presence and said that he was there as a ''husband'' and not as a Congress leader. ''There is nothing wrong in supporting someone, who is my wife...I will not campaign against any other Congress nominee anywhere else,'' he had remarked.

Shatrughan's daughter and film actress Sonakshi Sinha also joined the campaigning and conducted a roadshow in the state capital on Thursday.

Polling in Lucknow would be held on Monday.