Chandigarh, Aug 4 (IANS) Haryana Transport Minister and senior-most lawmaker Anil Vij on Monday said the people should not listen to ‘kathavachaks’ or religious storytellers but should instead heed the words of saints as “only saints can speak the ultimate truth and there is difference between a storyteller and a saint”.

In an interaction with the media, a vocal Vij said: “Anyone can become a ‘kathavachak’ after reading a few books. Just recently, Aniruddhacharya-ji maharaj gave several controversial statements. But a saint is someone who has gone through penance, renunciation, attained spiritual wisdom, and established a divine connection.”

Pookie Baba, aka Aniruddhacharya, sparked outrage with sexist remarks suggesting women unmarried at 25 are promiscuous.

When asked about Tejashwi Yadav, Bihar’s Leader of Opposition, for holding two voter ID cards with different numbers, which may constitute a criminal offence, Haryana minister Vij said: “If Tejashwi has two, their workers probably have hundreds. That’s why I’ve been saying from day one — fake leaders are advocating for fake voters in Bihar.”

When asked about his upcoming tour across Haryana starting August 15 and whether it was due to any displeasure, Vij said: “I am not upset at all. In fact, no one can be a bigger devotee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) than me. Duties have been assigned for each of the 42 assembly constituencies.”

He said party workers from all over Haryana call him and he will would meet them all.

“I am the most-senior BJP MLA in Haryana. I have won assembly elections seven times. No one else has come even close. That’s why I look after the entire state. Workers from all corners of Haryana call for me, and I will visit each of them, meet them, and fully energize them so that they work for the party day and night,” he added.

–IANS

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