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Row over BJP leader Uma Bharti’s remark on bureaucrats
After a two-minute video, in which the leader was purportedly seen making the controversial remarks, went viral on social media on Monday, BJP leader Uma Bharti apologised for her comments.
Bhopal: Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Uma Bharti courted controversy by saying bureaucrats are there only to “pick up our (leaders’) slippers” and that they have “no standing to delay anything.”
After a two-minute video, in which the leader was purportedly seen making the controversial remarks, went viral on social media on Monday, she apologised for her comments.
HT cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video, which was shared by several social media users.
“Aapko nahi pata bureaucracy kuchh nahi hoti, chappal uthanewali hoti hai. Chappal uthati hai hamari. Hum log hi raji ho jate hai uske liye. (You do not know that bureaucracy is nothing. Bureaucracy is there to pick up our chappals (slippers). They pick up our slippers. We only got agreed for that),” Bharti is heard saying in the video.
In the video, Bharti was seen interacting with some people and commenting on reservation. “Nothing is going to happen with reservation till it applies in the private sector. Everything is going to be privatised. The government land is being handed over to the private sector and what will happen with reservation…,” Bharti is heard saying in the video.
Meanwhile, state Congress committee spokesperson Narendra Saluja said, “BJP senior leader Uma Bharti raised an important issue of privatisation but also insulted bureaucrats. She should apologise bureaucrats for undermining them. BJP leaders should also clear their stand on this.”
However, BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said, “Uma Bharti was talking informally with some people on her residence and it is her personal opinion. She is the right person to comment on that.”
On Monday evening, Uma Bharti through number of tweets clarified her position.
“I am thankful to the media for showing my full video. I am talking in favour of bureaucrats that some incompetent leaders use the name of bureaucrats to hide their incompetency,” she tweeted.
“The bureaucrats always supports true and strong leader,” Bharti said in another tweet.
She also said she was talking informally with a delegation of OBC leaders at her residence in Bhopal but she shouldn’t have used bad words. “I learned today that I should talk sensitively even among the limited people,” she added.
