Watch: Wasn’t it only in 2017 that Naresh Agarwal swore never to join the BJP?
‘I promised...that I would never join the Bharatiya Janata Party,’ Agarwal had said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s decision to induct former Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Agarwal on March 12 appears to have become an unpopular decision.
In the past Agarwal has made several statements about cow lynching, Hindu gods, Kulbhushan Jadav, a gang-rape, and triple talaq that should not really have endeared him to the BJP. More recently, he also made sexist remarks against SP candidate Jaya Bachchan.
This list is long, but that’s not all. An interview (video above) from as recently as February 2017 shows Agarwal saying he had sworn never to join the BJP.
Here is the full interview with The Lallantop from February 13, 2017:
Agarwal has been a consistent critic of the BJP in the past. Just days before joining the party, he questioned demonetisation, asking the BJP if they considered it their “worst decision”.
The response on social media was anything but celebratory.
Dear @sambitswaraj, you deleted the tweet on the left after #NareshAgarwal joined BJP and understandably so. There are four more tweets by you which show your newly minted leader in poor light. You might want to delete them as well. pic.twitter.com/xosF277e18
— Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) March 12, 2018
Naresh Agarwal :
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) March 12, 2018
1) Compared Hindu Gods to Alcohol.
2) Questioned the calibre of Indian Army.
3) Called Kulbhushan Jadhav a Terrorist.
4) Casteist comment against PM Modi.
Still #NareshAgarwal accepted by "Party with a Difference" BJP. After joining BJP, he would be pure. Jai ho.
#NareshAgarwal joining @BJP4India n them accepting him is a travesty of every modicum of ethics in politics n a complete death of ideology . After abusing Hindu gods as alcohol brands, calling Jadhav as terrorist & names to indian army etc inducting him is an utter shame!
— Vikram Sampath (@vikramsampath) March 12, 2018
When politicians like #NareshAgarwal - who make offensive, misogynistic comments with great pride - are welcomed with open arms by parties for political one-upmanship, then we know how ingrained patriarchy, sexism & shameless acceptance of insulting women is in our polity
— Ruhi Tewari (@RuhiTewari) March 12, 2018
BJP welcomed a man who said ''whisky mein Vishnu, Rum mein Shri Ram, called Kulbhushan Jadhav a terrorist & questioned caliber of our army.
— Saniya Sayed (@Ssaniya25) March 12, 2018
Wake up & realise they're here for power & themselves & not for you. #NareshAgarwal
Is BJP a political party or a washing machine? Take all sorts of filth, then repackages it as brand new people. #NareshAgarwal
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) March 12, 2018
If misogynists like #NareshAgarwal start getting legitimate endorsements from the govt of the day; then clearly the dignity and safety of women in general is in peril.#NareshAgarwalJoinsBJP
— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) March 12, 2018