Amar Singh takes off trousers at press meet

Cheesed off with the-oft repeated criticism about using luxury vehicles during his much-hyped Purvachal Yatra in pursuance of his campaign for carving out a new state out of eastern Uttar Pradesh, ousted Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh on Thursday, in a bizarre move, took off his trousers at a press conference here.

This was his way of showing that he had developed wounds on his lower limbs on account of the long journeys he had undertaken on foot as a part of his yatra.

The melodramatic politician, who has been suffering from renal failure and had undergone kidney transplant in Singapore, is known for repeatedly reminding all and sundry that he was fighting for the creation of Purvanchal state despite the disease, in an apparent bid to evoke sympathy.

"Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party boss) and his henchmen have been accusing me of travelling by luxury buses. That is why I need to show you these wounds I have developed because of traversing long distances on foot," Singh said while pulling down his pants at a crowded press conference here.

He was here to call on rape victims in Kanpur and Unnao.

He went on to add: "You can see for yourself that I have developed severe infective wounds on my left leg, which was because of the long walks I have undertaken during my two-phased yatra across the length and breadth of eastern UP."

"I have undergone surgery and you can see that blood is still oozing out from the wounds due to the strain I have taken," he added.

He said: "Mulayam had declared publicly that he was opposed to the idea of carving out Purvanchal state. But I wish to make it loud and clear that my mission is to fight for the cause of purvanchal."

Amar Singh took up the issue of creation of smaller states only after he was shown the door by Samajwadi Party and after he failed in his bid to woo almost every other political party.