Angry with the oft repeated criticism about using luxury vehicles during his much hyped Purvachal yatra in pursuance of his campaign for carving out an indepedent state out of eastern Uttar Pradesh, ousted Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh on Thursday, in a bizarre move, took off his pants at a press conference in Kanpur.
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 part of his yatra.
The melodramatic politician, who has been suffering from renal failure and had undergone a 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 obvious bid to evoke mass sympathy.
"Mulayam Singh Yadav 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.
He was here to visit 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," he claimed.
He said, "Mulayam had declared publicly that he was opposed to the idea of carving out Purvachal state. But I wish to make it clear that my mission to is fight for the cause of Purvanchal."