Gwalior, Jan 14 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday condemned Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya’s controversial remarks on elected public representatives belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) communities, terming them “highly objectionable”.
Baraiya, a senior Congress leader, while addressing a party meeting in Bhopal on Tuesday, compared MLAs and MPs belonging to the SC/ST communities with dogs, claiming they "can’t even bark".
The veteran Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh and several other Congress leaders were present at the meeting.
Union Minister Scindia, who is Lok Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh’s Guna, reacted to Baraiya's remark, stating: "Using such words against a public representative is highly objectionable. Whether a public representative is good or bad, they are elected by the people. Such language should be avoided."
The Union Minister further stated that public representatives deserve respect as they are elected by the people, and that one should exercise restraint before making such “derogatory” remarks. Scindia made the statement during an interaction with the media upon arriving in his home district Gwalior on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, responding to the row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, the Minister said it is a regular process to verify genuine voters.
“I have said this repeatedly that it is not happening for the first time. In fact, it was started by the first Prime Minister of India. Those who are opposing it are afraid of their defeat,” he added.
Baraiya’s comments have sparked political controversy in the state. Several BJP leaders, including Madhya Pradesh Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Vishwas Sarang, condemned the remarks.
However, it is not the first time that Baraiya has made controversial remarks. There have been instances when he used objectionable language against leaders from rival parties.
Earlier, in June last year, Baraiya had questioned the martyrdom of Rani Laxmibai, claiming she had died by suicide.
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