Naresh Agrawal joins BJP in the presence of Union minister Piyush Goyal. (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Naresh Agrawal , a close aide of Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav , on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP ).

Union minister Piyush Goyal welcomed Agrawal into the fold of the party at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.

"Naresh Agrawal believes he can serve the country and Uttar Pradesh as part of the BJP," said Goyal.

On his part, Agrawal expressed his respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath .

He further said he would always respect Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav, but was upset at being bypassed by the SP for nomination to the Rajya Sabha.

"I have been compared with those who dance and work in films," Agrawal said, a comment that the BJP quickly shot down.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra immediately clarified that his party respects people from all fields and welcomes them in politics.

Agrawal claimed that he had put forward "no conditions" to join the BJP, adding that he was "back to my original place."

(With inputs from PTI)

In Video: Akhilesh Yadav's close aide Naresh Agrawal joins BJP, thanks PM Modi, Amit Shah after joining party