BJP was left red-faced after some Muslim women, who arrived in the state capital from different places carrying placards and posters hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the proposed law on triple talaq, claimed they were ''tricked'' into the branding exercise.
The women also appealed to other women from the community to support BJP in the Gujarat Assembly polls,
A few burqa-clad women, who had gathered near the historic Rumi Darwaja (gate) here on Thursday, said that they were ''promised'' that they would get pension if they did as told.
'Lady doc told me'
''A lady doctor told me that I would be given pension and a sewing machine if I reached the spot carrying a placard,'' said a woman, who had come here from Gosaiganj, about 30 km from here.
Some other Muslim women also spoke of similar promises. ''When we came here we were handed over the placards and posters,'' said another woman. A few of them were illiterate and did not know what was written on the placards and posters.
A group of Muslim women, who had assembled at Golghar crossing in UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's home town of Gorakhpur carrying similar placards and posters, also claimed that they were ''brought'' from different places on the pretext of receiving benefits.
Videos of the Muslim women making the claims went viral on social networking sites on Friday.
State BJP leaders sought to make light of the reports and said that the party had nothing to do with the claims. ''BJP does not believe in doing such things,'' said a senior saffron party leader here.