26
Criticizing Nishad’s remarks, Samajwadi Party spokesman Sarvendra Bikram Singh said that it reflects the insensitivity of the minister.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Fisheries Minister Sanjay Nishad visited the flood affected areas of Kanpur countryside. During this time, a woman told that mother Ganga has reached your door to wash your feet. You will get heaven directly. Opposition leaders reacted sharply to this comment. Opposition leaders accused the minister of being insensitive to the plight of the flood affected people. Many districts of Uttar Pradesh including Kanpur, Prayagraj and Varanasi have been affected by the rising water level of Ganga and Yamuna rivers. On Monday, Minister Nishad is telling a local woman standing in the flood waters that the Ganges river has reached your door to wash your feet and it will take you directly to heaven. After the minister’s statement during her visit on Monday, the woman retaliated and said that the minister should take the blessings of Ganga himself. However, it was not clear whether the woman was responding to the minister or talking to another woman present there.
Minister said- was commented in light way
BJP’s ally Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad said that this comment was made in a light manner. The minister told PTI-Bhasha that I was on a visit to the flood affected area of Nishad, where I told the flood-affected woman that people from far and wide come to take a holy bath in the Ganges in search of salvation and Ganga Maiya is at their door here. He said that we worship Nishad rivers, which are the source of our life and livelihood. Therefore, this comment has its own reference. During his visit, the minister also talked about a policeman of the Nishad community in Prayagraj, whose videos of worshiping Ganga water at their door and swimming in flood waters have gone viral.
Congress said ‘insult to faith’
A colleague of the minister said that yes, the minister mentioned the Prayagraj policeman as he is also Nishad and this reference was only to highlight the high honor in which the Ganga Maiya and all other rivers are kept by the community especially in general. On the other hand, criticizing Nishad’s comment, Samajwadi Party spokesman Sarvendra Bikram Singh said that it reflects the insensitivity of the minister. They are not aware of the status of ground reality and flood affected people. The state government has failed to give relief to the people and its ministers are looking for opportunities to get photographs. At a time when people are losing their homes and livelihood due to floods, such statements show how much UP ministers are cut off from the ground reality. The Congress termed Nishad’s remarks as an ‘insult to faith’. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself is monitoring the flood affected areas. Yogi has formed a team of officers and ministers, who are visiting the flood affected areas.
