Politician Naresh Agarwal, who was recently inducted in the BJP after failing to receive a Rajya Sabha ticket from the Samajwadi Party (SP), took a jibe at actress-politician Jaya Bachchan after she was given the Rajya Sabha ticket. Calling the veteran actress a ‘naachney waali’ (dancer), Naresh addressed the media at the BJP headquarters alleging foul play.
“I have been compared with those who dance and work in films,” he said.
Several people on Twitter, including Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, called out the misogyny in his jibe at Bachchan.
Shri Naresh Agarwal has joined Bhartiya Janata Party. He is welcome. However, his comments regarding Jaya Bachhan ji are improper and unacceptable.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 12, 2018
Naresh Agarwal points to Jaya Bachchan getting RS nomination from SP, as “equating” him with a “filmon main kaam karney wali”. @sambitswaraj quickly intervened says @BJP4India “respects” people from “all walks of life”
— Nistula Hebbar (@nistula) March 12, 2018
Naresh Agarwal calls Jaya Bachchan naachle wali? He is in the right party now, finally.
Disrespecting and calling women names is totally an RW thing.
— richa singh (@richa_singh) March 12, 2018
@narendramodi ji is a man who hs always furthered d cause of women empowerment. A woman leads our def.forces nd here a scum of the earth NareshAgarwal hd d gall to insult an iconic artist lk @JayaBachchan nd instd of reprimanding hm he is being rewarded. #NareshAgarwalJoinsBjp
— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) March 12, 2018
Agarwal, in the past, have made several controversial statements. Last year, Agarwal had linked Hindu deities to alcohol causing a massive uproar. He also called Muslim women protesting against Triple Talaq as non-Muslims. In response to the Shakti Mills rape case in 2013, Agarwal said that women need to pay more attention to their clothes so as to not get raped.
Feature Image: India Today/Indian Express
