PATNA: Bihar Sports Minister Surendra Kumar Mehta courted controversy after he posted a video of himself distributing blankets when the temperature touched a sweltering 40 degrees Celsius.
The minister distributed traditional clothes and blankets to around 700 people belonging to economically weaker sections of society at an event held at Ahiyapur village under Mansurchak block in Begusarai district to mark the foundation day of the BJP.
“The minister honoured the people by handing them over ‘ang vastra’ to mark the party’s foundation day on April 6,” said a senior BJP leader.
“The beneficiaries needed clothes. We chose the occasion to provide them with traditional ‘ang vastra’. However, blankets were also handed over to the people,” a close confidante of the minister told this reporter over the phone.
The minister Mehta, BJP MLA from Bachhwara, could not be contacted for his comment despite repeated attempts.
While distributing the blankets, the minister had, however, described the event as a sign of gratitude and honour towards people of the constituency.
In his Facebook post following the event, which Mehta later deleted, he wrote, “On the 45th foundation day of the world’s largest party committed to upliftment of the poor and nation building, we honoured people at Ahiyapur by offering them ‘ang vastra’.”
A video clip of the minister distributing blankets during summer went viral on social media. The minister Mehta later deleted the post from his social media account after his action generated political heat in poll-bound Bihar.
“It is not only the chief minister Nitish Kumar whose erratic behaviour at public events draws flak from the Opposition, but his ministerial colleague Mehta’s action has created a flutter in political circles,” said an RJD leader, Niranjan Yadav, a resident of Maraurhi in Patna.
The event was organised to woo the poor before the assembly elections due in October-November this year. JD(U), a major ally of BJP, however, defended the minister, saying that people were handed over ‘chadars’ and not blankets as being shown in viral video.