Foot in the mouth

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Naresh Agarwal ( pictured) on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). At a press conference, flanked by Union minister Piyush Goyal, Agarwal said the SP didn’t renominate him to the Rajya Sabha to “accommodate someone who dances in Bollywood”. Of the 10 Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant from UP, the SP can only win one, and has renominated film actor Jaya Bachchan. Agarwal’s comments left the BJP red-faced. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the party respected people from all fields and welcomed their entry into politics. Last year, Agarwal had mocked Hindu gods in the Rajya Sabha. Social media users also dug up a tweet of the Sangh Parivar thinker, Rakesh Sinha, who had demanded that Agarwal be impeached/expelled form Parliament, and his “relations with Pakistan” be “probed” by the “RAW and NIA”. A couple of hours after Agarwal held that press meet, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted: “Shri Naresh Agarwal has joined Bhartiya Janata Party. He is welcome. However, his comments regarding Jaya Bachchanji are improper and unacceptable.”