Minister Prallhad Patel faces backlash for calling people seeking government help an "army of beggars"
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh minister for rural development and panchayat raj Prallhad Patel has stirred a row when he called people taking their issues with the leaders as ‘army of beggars’.
“People have developed a habit of begging before the government. This does not create a healthy society. Instead of begging (before the government), people should develop a mindset of giving”, Mr. Patel said while unveiling the statue of Rani Avantibai Lodhi at Suthalia in Rajgarh district on Saturday.
A video, in which the minister was heard making the comment, on Sunday went viral, inviting sharp criticism from the Congress.
“It is reprehensible that a minister chose to call people an army of beggars. This is the mindset of BJP”, state Congress president Jitu Patwari said.
Mr Patel said that when a leader visits a village, people first garland him to greet him and then shove a letter containing demands in his hand.
“This is not a good habit. One should develop a habit of giving instead of taking. I can bet people will be happy if they develop the habit of giving. This will also create a cultured society”, he said.
Raising an army of beggars like this (at the function) is not in the interest of building a strong society, he said.
Mr. Patel also said that such a mindset amounts to insulting the memories of the martyrs. People who laid down their lives for the country never asked anything from the government.
The minister said that he never asked anyone to help him in any situation.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari slammed Mr. Patel for ‘describing’ people as beggars and demanded his resignation from the ministry.
