"BJP has only one good face - Hema Malini," said the minister. (File)
Actor and politician Hema Malini gives appealing cultural performances on classical songs to earn votes for the BJP, Madhya Pradesh's Public Works and Environment Minister Sajjan Singh Verma said on Sunday.
Mr Verma's statement comes after senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya's "chocolatey face" remark in the wake of Priyanka Gandhi's appointment as Congress General Secretary.
"Congress doesn't have any leader. That is why the party wants to contest the coming elections by banking on chocolaty faces. Somebody takes Kareena Kapoor's name while others ask for Salman Khan. Now they have brought in Priyanka Gandhi," Mr Vijayvargiya said on Saturday.
Responding to Mr Vijayvargiya's statement, Mr Verma said: "The BJP has no attractive faces. People don't even praise the faces that the BJP has. It has only one good face - Hema Malini. The party makes her dance on the classical songs to woo voters. So, Hema gives appealing dance performances to earn votes for the party."
Slamming Mr Vijayvargiya for his remarks on Priyanka, he said: "We humans are the creation of the God and people should praise each and every one. It is not Priyanka's fault if God has made her pretty. BJP should praise beautiful faces. By using such words for Priyanka, Vijayvargiya has lost respect and even disgraced his own party."
After triggering a major political controversy by making "chocolatey face" remark, Mr Vijayvargiya on Sunday clarified that his comment was directed towards Bollywood actors, and not against any political leader.
"I would like to tell my friends in media that if there is such a statement, then they should cross check it. I used the term chocolatey face for Bollywood actors. I did not use it for any political leader," he said.
Priyanka Gandhi is likely to take charge as the AICC General Secretary from the first week of February.