Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary on Wednesday accused the BJP of trying to engineer defections in his party ahead of the forthcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
Speaking at a public meeting in Mathura, Jayant claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had tried to get a senior RLD leader to defect but the latter declined the offer. "Shah told my colleague that he (Shah) would make him (RLD leader) Hema Malini," he said.
"We don't want to be Hema Malini....why are they trying to lure my leaders? They also used sweet language for me. I want to ask them (BJP) what they have done for the families of the 700 farmers who died during the course of farmer agitation. Why did they not sack Ajai Mishra?" Jayant said.
Jayant said that no RLD leader would join the BJP. "We are honest people and are true to our words," he added.
BJP leaders reacted sharply to Chaudhary's remarks and termed them sexist. "Jayant Chaudhary comes from a good family. He should not make such comments. We never made any such offer to any of his party leaders," said a senior UP BJP leader on Wednesday.
Jayant and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have been engaged in a verbal duel and have used strong words against each other during campaigning in the western UP region, going to polls in the first two phases on February 10 and 14.