Saturday, Apr 20, 2024 | Last Update : 06:35 AM IST
BJP ignores Rajbhar jabs, calls him ‘a necessary evil’
Om Prakash Rajbhar is known to criticize the policies of the Modi and Yogi governments at frequent intervals.
Lucknow: After maintain a studied silence for several months, the BJP in Uttar Pradesh has finally started responding to the salvos fired against it by its ally and minister Om Prakash Rajbhar who heads the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party.
UP BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey said on Saturday that Mr Om Prakash Rajbhar was a “necessary evil” and the statements made by him ‘should not be taken seriously’.
Asked whether the BJP would try to persuade the disgruntled ally, Mr Pandey said, “We are running a government in the state with an overwhelming majority. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are doing exemplary work. In such a vast political arena, there are some necessary evils like Om Prakash Rajbhar.”
Citing eastern UP folklore to drive home his point, the state BJP president said,” In our villages , there is a story that talks of a woman who used to head towards her paternal home frequently after even a small tiff with her husband. Her in-laws and other relatives used to placate her but one day the family decided that no one will try to placate her. After she moved out of the village, the woman caught hold of a goat and started crying that even the animal was not stopping her from leaving her in-laws’ home. The condition of Om Prakash Rajbhar is similar to this woman.”
The UP BJP chief said that there was a “limit” to tolerating one’s uncalled for behaviour. The BJP state president also claimed that the entire Rajbhar community in the state was with the BJP
Mr Om Prakash Rajbhar is known to criticize the policies of the Modi and Yogi governments at frequent intervals.
The Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party ( SBSP) which has just four members in the state assembly has been threatening to walk out of the government on the issue of reservation within reservation.
The SBSP has also slammed the Yogi government for exchanging names of Faizabad and Allahabad and asked the BJP to change the names of its Muslim leaders instead. Mr Rajbhar has criticized demonetization too.
