Invite those 700 farmer families which you have destroyed, not me: RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary to BJP
New Delhi, Jan 26: Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary has chosen the "wrong home", Union Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday as he reached out to Jat leaders at a meeting here ahead of the first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh and the BJP suggested that its doors were open for the RLD leader.
According to sources, while talking to Jat leaders from western Uttar Pradesh, Shah said the ideology of both the party and the community is the same as both keep national interest first and have been fighting against ''invaders''.
The meeting held at the residence of BJP MP Parvesh Verma was also attended by the party's prominent Jat leaders including Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan who is an MP from Muzaffarnagar in western Uttar Pradesh.
Jats are a deciding factor in almost all the seats in western Uttar Pradesh, a region where the RLD enjoys influence among the community.
The RLD, led by former prime minister Charan Singh's grandson Jayant Chaudhary, has joined hands with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party this time.
"In the meeting, we have suggested that people of the Jat community talk to Jayant Chaudhary. Doors of the BJP are always open," Verma later told reporters.
The BJP's outreach is significant as there are apprehensions that the over year-long farmers' agitation against the three agri laws, which have since been repealed, will affect its prospects.
However, the RLD leader gave a terse response.
"Invite those +700 farmer families which you have destroyed, not me," he tweeted in Hindi.
Talking about RLD, Shah said at the meeting that Jayant Chaudhary "has chosen the wrong house".
Citing the various steps taken by the Modi government for the community, Shah said that it appointed three Jat governors and has nine Jat MPs.
Expressing gratitude towards the community, Shah said the BJP got the community's blessings due to which the party could win in 2014, 2017, 2019 elections.
"With your support, I believe you will again make us win this election as well," he said.
Shah said the BJP government named a university in Aligarh in Jat king's name, has constructed expressways and brought in Jewar airport for employment and prosperity in western Uttar Pradesh.
Pagdi, a symbol of Jat pride, was tied on the head of Shah in the meeting.
Balyan said that Jats would never prefer SP chief Akhilesh Yadav as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
The developments came a day before Shah and several other top BJP leaders, including Union Minister Rajnath Singh, were scheduled to visit western Uttar Pradesh.
Shah held similar meetings with leaders from the Jat community ahead of the 2017 assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
न्योता मुझे नहीं, उन +700 किसान परिवारों को दो जिनके घर आपने उजाड़ दिए!!
— Jayant Singh (@jayantrld) January 26, 2022
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Allen, Raghuvanshi, Green power KKR to 29-run win over GT
Kolkata (PTI): Finn Allen blasted a 35-ball 93, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi hit an unbeaten 44-ball 82 as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL match here on Saturday.
Sent in to bat, Allen went on a six-hitting spree, smashing 10 maximums and four boundaries to add 95 off 41 balls with Raghuvanshi (82).
Raghuvanshi then shared another 108 off 53 balls with Cameron Green (52 not out) to power KKR to a challenging 247 for 2.
In reply, GT could manage 218-4, riding on skipper Shubman Gill's 49-ball 85 and a 35-ball 57 from Jos Buttler. Opener Sai Sudarsan was retired hurt but returned to make a 28-ball 53 not out.
Sunil Narine (2/29) claimed two wickets and Saurabh Dubey snapped one for KKR.
For GT, Mohammed Siraj (1/50), Sai Kishore (1/38) were the wicket-takers.
Brief Score:
KKR: 247 for 2 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 93, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 82 not out, Camero Green 52 not out; Mohammed Siraj 1/50).
GT: 218 for 4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 85, Sunil Narine 2/29).
