LUCKNOW: The one-month-old Yogi Adityanath government wants to set an example but its ministers fail to lead by it.
Just a day after the State government renamed Viklang Kalyan Vibhag as ‘Divyang’ Jansashaktikaran Vibhag (Disabled Empowerment Department) as a mark of respect for physically challenged persons following PM Modi’s footsteps, one of its ministers, Satyadev Pachauri courted controversy by allegedly using an uncouth expression referring to a disabled employee during a surprise inspection to check cleanliness of his office premises on Wednesday.
The Khadi and Village Industries minister is drawing widespread condemnation after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
However, as per unconfirmed reports, the Chief Minister is believed to have taken cognisance of the incident and the minister concerned has been summoned by him.
Apparently miffed over the non-complaince of standing directives to keep premises clean, Khadi and Village Industries Minister Satyadev Pachauri, during a surprise check to the Khadi Gramudyog Board's Office, failed to control his annoyance. Pointing at the dirt and filth all around, Pachauri ordered the officers concerned to lock up office premises and asked them to accompany him. Even the Khadi Board’s CEO was asked to summon all board employees along with the sanitation workers for questioning.
While quizzing the staff over stained walls, corners and filth all around, when the minister came across a disabled sanitation contractual worker, he wondered how would he be able to ensure cleanliness with his disability.
When the minister came to know of the employee’s contractual status, he asked the CEO how he expected a lame and feeble (loola-langda) man to take the Swachh Bharat Mission forward. “You keep such ‘disabled’ persons on contract. What will they be able to do?” he asked the CEO in the presence of the man in question. The whole conversation was captured on the camera as media persons were also on the spot to cover minister’s surprise inspection.
On the one hand the visuals of the incident were widely shared on the social media, on the other the person with disability too lodged his protest and contemplated petitioning the CM in this connection.
However, later the minister was seen trying to cover up his uncalled for behaviour by saying that it was an unmindful statement and he never intended to be disrespectful against the member of the Divyang community.
Watch video below: