New Delhi: Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary, who is being criticised for his Hema Malini comment, today clarified that it was a sarcastic comment. Yesterday, Mr Chaudhary had claimed that his party leader was told by senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, "I will make you Hema Malini if you join".
"Attempts were being made to poach our candidate from Maant seat. Yogesh (Nauhwar) had said from the stage that he was offered an MP post. So I said it sarcastically that they are going to make him Hema Malini," RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary on Wednesday told ANI.
The BJP has been trying to ally with Jayant Chaudhary and Home Minister Amit Shah had last month said that the party's doors will always be open for RLD.
Mr Chaudhary has snubbed the overtures made by the BJP and hit the campaign trail in Uttar Pradesh with Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav.
Elections in Uttar Pradesh would be held in seven phases starting February 10.
On Tuesday, Mr Chaudhary had controversially said that he does not want to be Hema Malini and the BJP should therefore not try to please him.
"Aaj mere liye itni meethi meethi baatain. Yogesh ji ko Amit Shah ne baataya. Hum aapko Hema Malini banayenge. Unhe mujse pyaar nahi hai. Unhe mujhe khush karke kya mil jaayega. Mujhe toh nahi banna Hema Malini. (BJP has no love for me. It is surprising to know that they talking 'sweet things' about me'. What will they (BJP) get by pleasing me? I don't want to be Hema Malini)," he said at a rally in Mathura.
Hema Malini is a BJP MP from Mathura who defeated Jayant Chaudhary in the 2014 UP polls in Mathura.