The BJP on Monday said BSP chief Mayawati was "unfit for public life" and demanded an apology from her for making personal remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party said the comments show her desperation in view of her imminent defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.
Making a personal attack on Modi with a handful of twisted logic, Mayawati alleged that women in the BJP are scared of their husbands meeting the Prime Minister fearing they might also "abandon their wives".
"I have come to know that in BJP, women leaders get scared when they see their husbands going near PM Modi. They fear that like Modi they might also abandon their wives," BSP Chief said in a press statement issued at Lucknow.
"Under such circumstances, I request all the women of the country not to give their votes to such a person. This would also be their real respect to the deserted wife of Modiji," she said. Addressing a joint SP-BSP rally in Gorakhpur, Mayawati also repeated her caste swipe at Modi, calling him a "fake OBC".
Hitting out at the BSP leader, Union Finance Minister Jaitley tweeted that she is unfit to be in public life. "Behan Mayawati — She is firm on becoming a Prime Minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life," Jaitley tweeted.
At a press conference in New Delhi, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also attacked the BSP supremo for making personal remarks against Narendra Modi saying that the former UP Chief Minister has demeaned the stature of her own leadership.
"It is absolutely disappointing and shocking for her to speak so ill about the PM and his personal life, and women in BJP. Behen Mayawati please be assured we're all absolutely safe, secure and have good professional relationships in our party," she said.
"Mayawati ji has understood that her gathbandhan is getting nowhere and this is the reason for her worry and sense of insecurity. Will she withdraw the support to the alliance because the Congress government wanted to push the Alwar gangrape case under the carpet?
She has only revealed that she is eminently facing a political failure. I think she is only demeaning the stature of her own leadership. She should apologise to having commented so badly over the private life of the Prime Minister," said Sitharaman.