UP minister in soup for dancing as kids die

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh minister for basic education, Anupama Jaiswal, has stirred a fresh controversy after a video clip of her dancing with gay abandon at a Ganpati Puja pandal has gone viral at a time when over 70 children have died due to a mystery fever in her constituency in Bahraich.

In the video, the minister is seen dancing at the event, holding her husband’s hand.

Ms Jaiswal, who has earlier courted controversy over delayed distribution of sweaters to school children and then sub-standard shoes, made herself unavailable for comment but one of her aides who answered her phone said,

“All party workers were present during the programme and Ms Jaiswal was sitting on the stage. One worker came forward and held her hand while the other hand was held by her husband. She did not dance, she was just standing there. There are people who have a problem with everything”.

The mystery fever has affected Bahraich the most and hospitals have three children being treated on one bed. Seventy children have reportedly died during the past 45 days in the district due to fever.

Samajwadi Party spok-esperson and MLC Sunil Singh Sajan said that the minister dancing at an event reflected her insensitivity towards the prevailing situation in her own constituency.

UP Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said the insensitivity of BJP leaders was not new. “Last year, when children died at the BRD Medical College due to shortage of oxygen, the Gorakhpur Mahotsav was held with song and dance programmes,” Mr Awasthi said.