Patna: A newly-elected Lok Sabha MP triggered a controversy by stating that he won’t help people from Musilm and Yadav communities as they didn’t vote for him in the recent election.
Janata Dal-United’s first-time MP Devesh Chandra Thakur won the Sitamarhi seat in Bihar by a margin of 51,000 votes over Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) Arjun Rai
He said during a party programme that he has been in active politics for 22 years during which he has always worked for the Muslims and Yadavs. “But now I am clearly stating that I will not work for them. If people of these communities come to me with any request to get their work done then I will only serve them tea and snacks. They should go back after having tea and snacks because I will not entertain their requests for any work,” he said.
Explaining his stand, Thakur said: “A man from the Muslim community came to me to get his work done. He is a good man. I asked him whether he voted for the Lantern (RJD symbol) in the Lok Sabha elections. He said, ‘yes sir, I voted for the Lantern’. I clearly told him that I will order tea and sweets for him and then see him off with good wishes but will not do his work.” Thakur said.
Thakur later said he stood by his statement.
“If Muslims and Yadavs did not vote for the Arrow (JD-U’s poll symbol) just because they saw the face of Narendra Modi when they saw our poll symbol… When someone comes to me from these communities, I can also see the face of Lalu Prasad and the Lantern (RJD symbol) on their face… It takes two to clap,” he told Hindustan Times.
Thakur added that his ‘action’ was limited to requests for personal help, like putting in a word for treatment at AIIMS or calling up the police. “For any work concerning the society at large, they are welcome, but not for any personal work,” he added.
Opposition parties RJD and Congress slammed Yadav, who was previously chairman of Bihar Legislative Council.
“He should not have said such a thing. Once the election is over, he is the MP of all constituency… He should not isolate himself from any caste or creed,” said RJD spokesman Rishi Mishra.
RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari pointed out that Thakur’s comment contradicts the oath to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution that he takes as a Lok Sabha member.
“His remarks were inappropriate and he should retract it,” Tiwari said.
Congress leader Sudhir Kaundilya said Yadav’s comments were worrying.
JD-U, which is an NDA partner, and BJP, on the other hand, defended Thakur by saying that his remark reflected his pain and should not be used to derive political mileage.
“He has shared his concerns with his people due to the low margin and his expectations based on the work he and his party did. But that is past now. He has won and will now work to develop his constituency,” said BJP spokesman Kuntal Krishna.
