Former Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal joins the BJP at the party headquarters in Delhi
Former Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal, who after joining the BJP today took a swipe at actor-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan, has been in the news several times in the past for making controversial comments, even in parliament.
"I have been compared with those who dance and work in films," Naresh Agrawal said today at an event in Delhi to mark his entry to the BJP.
But his remark forced his new party to issue a disclaimer. "Shri Naresh Agarwal has joined Bhartiya Janata Party. He is welcome. However, his comments regarding Jaya Bachhan ji are improper and unacceptable," union minister Sushma Swaraj has tweeted.
Mr Agrawal said the Samajwadi Party did not give him a Rajya Sabha berth from Uttar Pradesh and instead gave it to another person just because she "could dance and act in films".
In July last year, Mr Agrawal's comment in Rajya Sabha during a heated debate on cow protection gangs had to be expunged.
And more recently in December last, Mr Agarwal provoked a controversy with his comments on Kulbhushan Jadhav, the Indian man on death row in Pakistan, at a time there was widespread anger over the way his family was treated in Islamabad.
"If they (Pakistan) consider Kulbhushan Jadhav a terrorist in their country, then they will treat him that way. We should treat terrorists in our country the same way," Mr Agrawal had said.
And last month, Mr Agarwal triggered a row when he made remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's caste, drawing severe criticism from the BJP, a party that has now welcomed him.
At an event organised by traders in Lucknow, he had said, "Tell them to make laws in favour of the community... Amit Shah is from our community, but Modi is a Teli (community of oil-makers)."
Mr Agrawal's term in the Rajya Sabha is ending next month and he was expecting a re-election to the Upper House. But his hopes were dashed when the Samajwadi Party chose Mrs Bachchan to be its candidate.
On Monday, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also immediately distanced his party from Mr Agrawal's remarks against Mrs Bachchan, saying the BJP respects people from all fields and welcomes them in politics.