Shimla, March 5 -- Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Anand Sharma on Thursday said that "self-respect is very expensive in politics" and that "speaking the truth is now considered a crime," after the party nominated Kangra Congress Committee president Anurag Sharma as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh.

Speaking to ANI in Shimla before leaving for Delhi, Sharma said he was not in a position to comment on why he was not chosen as the party candidate.

"I will not say that I am disappointed, but I will say one thing: self-respect is very expensive in politics. One has to pay the price for it, and speaking the truth is now considered a crime," he said.

Referring to the decision of the party leadersh...