Hardik Patel, Kanhaiya Kumar are fighters: Uma Bharti

Bhopal : Union Minister Uma Bharti on Tuesday termed Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel and former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar as "fighters" who failed to garner mass support due to their criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Hardik Patel is a good and combative boy. I have been monitoring him. His strength will increase only if he remains non-political. I have been monitoring Kanhaiya Kumar as well. He would have been a good fighter had he not made remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Bharti told reporters while responding to a question at her residence here.

The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said Hardik Patel must understand that Modi is the "pride" of Gujarat and not a native of Uttar Pradesh but the people there made him win the elections.

"The people of Gujarat will once again stand united and the BJP will win the assembly polls with convincing majority," she added.

She advised Hardik Patel to remain apolitical and focus on the Patidar quota stir.

She said that Kanhaiya Kumar would have also emerged as a "fighter" had he not been critical of the Prime Minister.

"They think that they will gain TRPs by speaking against Modi. They are not able to establish a base for themselves in their endeavor to gain TRPs. One can gain TRPs by speaking against the Prime Minister, but will never ever be succesful in achieving the people's mandate," she added.

Bharti used the occasion to taunt Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh's ongoing "Narmada Parikrama".

"He is like my elder brother. My brother (Digvijaya Singh) and sister-in-law (Amrita) have embarked on the Narmada Parikrama. I will definitely go if they call me and partake of the 'bhandara' as well."

She also backed Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's assertion that the roads in his state are better than those in the US.

"The roads in Madhya Pradesh can be better than those in the US. Can't the roads in the US be in a bad condition?" she asked.

Bharti said reservation was necessary and must continue in the country for the benefit of those who remained oppressed for ages.

Bharti further said there was no discrimination in the country on the basis of religion but certainly it was there in the name of caste.

"Reservation is necessary for the country as there are many people who remained oppressed for ages in the country because of caste," Bharti told reporters when asked to comment on the issue in context of Gujarat assembly polls.

"It is a constitutional provision and hence it should continue," she said.

When asked that in some temples entry of certain people is banned on the basis of caste, she said "people should go to any temple without disclosing their caste."

On the issue of Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh's ongoing Narmada Parikrama, Bharti said "Singh and his family is very religious. I don't want to make any political comment on it.