Black paint smeared on Modi posters in Varanasi

Lucknow, March 24 (IANS) Samajwadi Party (SP) workers Monday smeared black paint on posters of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi following a row over a slogan.

A controversy has broken out over the slogan "Har-har Modi, ghar-ghar Modi" and religious seers and local intellectuals have raised objections over the slogan that likens Modi to Lord Shiva.

The party has officially distanced itself from it.

However, angry SP workers Monday smeared posters of Modi with black paint.

Taking to the streets, SP workers accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of equating Modi to Mahadev.

The SP supporters and workers have also released posters mocking it. Their posters said "Thar-thar Modi, dar-Dar Modi (Modi is afraid, shivering)".

Posters by party leader Arun Gupta have been plastered all across important places in Allahabad.

While the BJP had been using the slogan in many of its public rallies and election campaigns, state leaders abandoned the slogan Sunday in wake of the controversy.

Opposition parties slammed BJP for equating Modi with Lord Shiva, whose capital is supposed to be Varanasi.

Shankracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati rang up Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and aired his disapproval of the slogan after which the BJP said the slogan was not its official one. It said that the official slogan is "Abki Baar, Modi Sarkaar" (This time, Modi government).

Modi too late Sunday tweeted requesting party workers and supporters not to use the slogan that has triggered a row.