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U.P. minister Nandi’s straight-talk at Coffee with HT: From how he got nickname to surviving bomb attack
Street-fighting character earned him two names -- one was Seekiya Pahalwan for being lean and thin and the other was Nandi for taking on anyone without thinking twice about the repercussions, he says
Uttar Pradesh minister Nand Gopal Gupta on Wednesday revealed how he got the nickname Nandi. He also spoke about surviving a bomb attack.
“My street-fighting character despite a feeble body earned me two names -- one was Seekiya Pahalwan for being lean and thin and the other was Nandi for taking on anyone without thinking twice about the repercussions. However, as Nandi was associated with Lord Shiva, I kept this name,” the minister said at the Coffee with HT programme here.
“My fighting instinct helped me survive a (near) fatal attack on me on July 12 ,2010 when a bomb exploded in front of my house when I was going to perform puja at a temple. Two people died in that attack. Somehow, I managed to defeat death. That’s why I celebrate my rebirth on that day every year. Now every year, I start Rudrabhishek of Lord shiva at the same time when the attack happened on July 12. I think it was due to Lord Shiva, I escaped the attack orchestrated by 16 people. Today, my rebirth function is attended by lakhs in Prayagraj.”
“I was a cabinet minister in the BSP government. Still, they dared to attack a cabinet minister,” he recalled.
Asked if he still perceived a threat, he said, “In the Yogi government, no one has to be afraid, but yes I remain alert as criminals have no rules. They can stoop to any level.”
“I am working to unite the votes of the traders’ community across the country. The central and state government are working on solving all the problems raised by traders,” the minister said.
“I am also working at the micro-level with small traders. I have appointed bazar pramukhs in all the 7623 markets of state. People approach them with their problems and problems of the grass roots level then reach me. Big traders and industrialists also come to me. I take up their problems with the Centre and the state government,” he added.
