A political storm has erupted after a Minister in the Yogi Government called a “divyang” (physically-challenged) as “loola-langda’ drawing sharp reactions from Opposition parties who demanded the immediate sacking of Khadi and Gramodyog Minister Satyadeo Pachauri.
During an inspection, Pachauri found the office compound filthy. Stains of paan on the gallery angered him further and the Minister asked officials to summon the safai karamchari. On the Minister’s directives, sweeper Dinesh was asked to meet Pachauri.
“Kitne baje aate ho. Safai kyon nahi karte (At what time do you comeIJ Why do you not clean the office compound),” Pachauri asked.
Dinesh replied that he came at 7 in the morning and since he was alone he was unable to clean the whole building. “I am doing my best,” he pleaded.
The Minister stared at him and then told the official, “Is loole-lange ko kahe naukri par rakh liyaIJ Yeh kya kaam kar sakta haiIJ (Why have you hired this disabled personIJ What work can he doIJ)”.
The official argued saying that he was on daily wages. The Minister retorted by saying that the Government even pays money to those who were working on ad hoc basis.
This Minister’s statement drew sharp reactions from the political parties. Senior Congress leader Amarnath Agarwal said that the BJP Ministers were so arrogant that they forget that even a poor persons has some self-respect.
“The Minister should not make fun of a disabled by calling him loola-langda. The Chief Minister should take action against Pachauri,” Agarwal said.
Even Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said that a Minister should respect his subordinates. “A safai karamchari is a Government employee though he is class IV employee. Calling him handicapped is unjustified,” Chaudhary said.
later however, Pachauri came up with a clarification saying that he had only said that the said person be given work as per his potential.
“I only meant that he was weak and could not clean the office compound on his own,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, safai karamchari Dinesh said that he felt humiliated by the minister’s commment and would lodge a complaint with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the next Janata Durbar.