Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday defended a party colleague's comments likening roads to 'Hema Malini's cheeks', saying that such comments had been passed earlier as well and was a "mark of respect" for the iconic Bollywood actor.
"This type of comparison has happened earlier too. It's a respect for Hema Malini. So, don't see it negatively. Earlier, Lalu Yadav had also given a similar example. We respect Hema Malini," the Rajya Sabha MP told news agency ANI.
On Sunday, Maharashtra minister Gulabrao Patil stirred up a political controversy comparing the roads in his constituency of Jalgaon district to actor-lawmaker Hema Malini's cheeks. The remark invited a strong reaction from the state.
Patil is the Water Supply & Sanitation Minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Meanwhile, Hema Malini told ANI that the comments were not in good taste, particularly coming from an elected representative. The BJP MP noted that the trend was first started by Lalu Prasad Yadav a few years ago and many followed suit.
When asked if she would seek an apology, she quipped that she did not care for such things. The actor also jokingly said she should now 'look after her cheeks' if they are being used as metaphors.
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