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‘Ganga has come to wash your feet’: Uttar Pradesh minister’s remark sparks controversy
Much of central and eastern Uttar Pradesh has been affected by a flood-like situation due to the rising level of major rivers
Amid the flood situation in several parts of the state, Uttar Pradesh fisheries minister Sanjay Nishad’s remark during a visit to a flood-hit village in Kanpur Dehat district’s Bhognipur tehsil has triggered strong public and political reactions.
“Ganga maiya comes to wash the feet of her sons. Just her darshan ensures direct passage to heaven,” Nishad was filmed telling residents when people raised concern over the floods.
Sanjay Nishad is also the founder-president of the Nishad Party, an alliance partner of the BJP government in the state. He made the remark on Monday.
The video has since gone viral, sparking criticism over the perceived insensitivity of the comment, especially in a region where people have lost homes, livestock and crops to the floodwaters.
Locals, however, were quick to point out that Bhognipur is situated near the Yamuna river, not the Ganga.
“At the very least, a minister should know which river is flowing here,” one villager was heard saying.
In another clip from the same visit, BJP district president Renuka Sachan, who accompanied the minister, purportedly told an elderly woman that it was her “good fortune” that “Yamuna maiya” came to give her darshan.
The woman sharply replied, “Then why don’t you stay here and enjoy it every day?” Her reply too was widely shared on social media platforms.
Reacting to Nishad’s remark, UP Congress president Ajay Rai said, “Mother Ganga is respected by all, including Hindus and Muslims. This statement has just made fun of the people’s faith.”
Much of central and eastern Uttar Pradesh has been affected by a flood-like situation due to the rising level of major rivers, including the Ganga and the Yamuna. In Bhognipur, many villages remain submerged, farmlands have been inundated and livestock swept away. Several residents have taken shelter on higher ground or temporary relief camps.
In response, the state government has activated its emergency response strategy and formed “Team 11” of ministers, assigning specific responsibilities to them. Ministers and legislators have also been asked to monitor relief efforts on the ground.
Nishad’s remarks have drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition parties.
Samajwadi Party youth wing national president Dr Imran said: “This government’s ministers and officers have become completely insensitive. While people are suffering immensely, such careless remarks are being made instead of providing real help.”
Congress Mahanagar president Sandeep Shukla said the comments were “like rubbing salt into the wounds.”
“People are waiting for relief that hasn’t reached them, and instead the minister is giving sermons. Rather than holding those responsible accountable, he is offering mythology in place of action,” Shukla said.
Nishad later told a news agency that the remark was made in a lighter vein.
“I was on a visit to a flood-hit area of Nishads where while interacting with them I said that for seeking salvation, people from far away places come to take the holy dip in Ganga and here Ganga ‘maiya’ was right at their doorstep,” the minister said.
“We Nishads worship rivers, our source of life and livelihoods. So the remark has its own context,” the minister said.
Earlier, videos of an Uttar Pradesh police sub-inspector worshipping the Ganga waters at his doorstep in Prayagraj and swimming in the flood waters had gone viral.
