LUCKNOW: Expressing his dismay and hurt, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav deplored ex-colleague Naresh Agrawal for his invective against Jaya Bachchan, he was joined by his father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in terming Agarwal’s exit from the party as good riddance here on Tuesday.
In the same vein, Akhilesh also questioned BJP’s silence over Naresh Agrawal’s comment on Jaya Bachchan and sought an action against him. He also called upon the National Commission for Women to take cognisance of the matter and recommend suitable action against Agrawal.
“I condemn the derogatory comments of Naresh Agarwal which are not only an insult to the Indian film industry but also all the women in India. If the BJP respects women then the party should initiate action against him. The women’s commission should also act against Naresh Agarwal,” Akhilesh tweeted on Tuesday morning.
Notably, actor-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan has been nominated by the Samajwadi Party as its candidate for the fourth time for lone seat that the party can secure with 47 MLAs. UP has a quota of
10 seats for upcoming Rajya Sabha polls on March 23.
It is believed that party preferring Jaya over other outgoing senior party leaders like Naresh Agarwal and party Vice-President Kironmoy Nanda miffed Agrawal so much so that he not only changed his
political loyalty by joining the saffron brigade along with his son Nitin but also kicked up a row by passing
incendiary remarks against the veteran Bollywood actor calling her as someone who dances and acts in films. Nitin Agrawal is a sitting SP MLA.
His remarks drew sharp reaction by the women parliamentarians led by Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj who called it unacceptable. Swaraj was followed by Information and Broadcasting Minister Smirti Irani who also condemned the comment.
Even BSP chief Mayawati too termed Agrawal’s jibe at Jaya shameful. Later in the day, speaking at a media event, Akhilesh said it was good that Naresh Agrawal had left the party.
Asked why he had not taken action against him when he had made equally controversial
remarks while he was a part of the SP, Akhilesh said he had advised him to exercise restraint. “But why is the BJP not taking any action against him when senior leaders of the party have criticized him for his statements on Jaya Bachchan ji,” Akhilesh said in an apparent reference to union minister Sushma Swaraj’s tweet.
Meanwhile, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, when asked to comment on Agrawal’s statement, said: "He left the SP and that is an advantage for us. We will never consider his resignation as a loss to our
party."