Amid rising water levels in rivers Ganga and Yamuna in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, state fisheries minister Sanjay Nishad decided to visit an affected area in Lucknow. However, what raised eyebrows was his remark on water from the river Ganga reaching the "doorstep to clean the feet". The remark was seen as insensitive and drew the Opposition's ire on social media.
A video of Nishad's visit to the Kanpur Dehat area of Lucknow quickly went viral. In the video, he is seen surrounded by a group of people, one of whom is talking about how deep inside the house the water reaches.
At this, Nishad said, “Ganga maiya reaches your door steps to clean your feet and this will take you directly to heaven."
The remark quickly triggered a response from the Uttar Pradesh unit of Congress, which shared the clip on X and wrote, “The minister himself lives in a posh area of Lucknow; forget Ganga, not even a drain flows by his doorstep. So, does this mean it should be inferred that the minister will go straight... there?”
After the video went viral, Nishad reportedly clarified, saying he made the remark 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 place come to take the holy dip in Ganges and here Ganga 'maiya' was right at their doorstep," the minister told news agency PTI.
{{/usCountry}}After the video went viral, Nishad reportedly clarified, saying he made the remark 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 place come to take the holy dip in Ganges and here Ganga 'maiya' was right at their doorstep," the minister told news agency PTI.
{{/usCountry}}"We Nishads worship rivers, our source of life and livelihoods. So the remark has its own context," the minister added.
Apart from Congress, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sharvendra Bikram Singh also slammed Nishad for his remarks. "He is not aware of the ground reality and the situation in which flood affected people are living. The state government has failed to provide relief to the people and its minister are looking for photo opportunities. At a time when people are losing their homes and livelihoods due to floods, such statements show how disconnected UP ministers are from ground reality,” Singh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Several parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, and Varanasi, have been witnessing massive waterlogging and flooding triggered by heavy rain, and water has also been entering homes in low-lying areas.