New Delhi, Aug 13: Ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah has warned his party's lawmakers from Uttar Pradesh against making controversial statements. Shah mainly asked Hema Malini, Sangeet Som, Suresh Rana, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sanjeev Balyan and Rajendra Agarwal to refrain from giving any controversial statement.

According to a report, Amit Shah held a closed-door meeting with BJP legislators from Uttar Pradesh and told them to visit their constituencies and informed people about the government's achievements and welfare schemes. He asked them to visit every village of their constituencies and have tea at least 20 households, reported a News18 report. Shah has been working on a counter-strategy to defeat a united opposition in Uttar Pradesh.

The BJP chief's warning came amid reports of growing resentment against Joshi in his Kanpur constituency. Besides, Hema Malini, who represents Mathura Lok Sabha seat, recently stirred a controversy by saying that she could become the chief minister “in a minute” if she wanted. Som, Rana and Balyan are accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case. 62 people died in the clashes between Hindu Jats and Muslims.

Last year, Som had called the Taj Mahal a blot on Indian culture and history and said that the names of Mughal emperors would be removed from history. Balyan had made a controversy by saying that Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s days are numbered.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 13, 2018 10:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).