Jwala Gutta takes thinly-veiled 'bewajah' jibe at Saina Nehwal for joining BJP

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal on Wednesday joined the BJP at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Soon after her induction, her contemporary and rival Jwala Gutta took an indirect jibe at Nehwal. Taking to Twitter, Gutta said, "Pehli baar Suna hai...bewajah khelna shuru kiya aur ab bewajah party join kiya (Hearing this for the first time, started playing for no reason, joined the part for no reason)."

'Joined the party for no reason'

Gutta did not name Nehwal in her tweet but it is amply clear what she is referring to. While she didn't substantiate what she meant by 'Bewajah khelna shuru kiya', in her mention of Nehwal joining BJP 'sans reason', Gutta perhaps hasn't factored in that Saina made her reasons clear during her short address at the BJP HQ.

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"Today, I have joined a party that does good things for the country. I am a very hard-working person and I like hard-working persons. I can see that Narendra Modiji works so hard for the country. It will be my good fortune if I can do something for the country working with him. I like keeping interest in politics, she said."

'I like working with those who work hard' - Saina

Saina Nehwal's older sister Chandranshu has also joined the BJP. Nehwal, 29, also cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts towards the field of sports. "Narendra Modi has done a lot for sports as well. Khelo India is a programme in which many players participate. They get the chance to join big academies and then, to play for the country. I get a lot of inspiration from Narendra Sir. I am looking forward that I can do well."

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Born in Haryana, Saina Nehwal is one of India's most successful athletes, with both Olympics and Commonwealth Games medals under her belt.

Gutta's tweet evoked mixed reactions on Twitter, some alleging envy, and others poking fun at Saina:

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She is currently preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. A former world number 1, she has been honoured with the country's top sporting awards like the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award. She was also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2016. The Badminton player has won over 24 international titles. In the London Olympics, she won a bronze. She was world number two in 2009 and number one in 2015.

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