Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has invited criticism from her own party – Bharataiya Janata Party (BJP) – for saying that legislators “construct big houses” in a year after winning elections but do not come back amongst people.
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has invited criticism from her own party – Bharataiya Janata Party (BJP) – for saying that legislators “construct big houses” in a year after winning elections but do not come back amongst people.
Speaking at a programme at her Lok Sabha constituency in Pilibhit, Mrs Gandhi claimed last week that she has sold her own house gifted by her late husband for the service of the people.
“My late husband had left a house for me. It was sold in service of the people of Pilibhit and I live in a government accommodation. The money from selling the house was used in medical treatment and welfare of the people here," Gandhi said at a public meeting in Mudia Kundari village in the district on Friday.
Mrs Gandhi, Minister for Women & Child Development in the Narendra Modi government, represents Pilibhit in the Lok Sabha.
Hitting out at corrupt politicians, she said, “MLAs take your votes and never come back. Unclothed people become legislators and construct big houses in a single year after winning elections.”
Her comments invited angry retorts from the BJP leaders as all four assembly constituencies in Pilibhit district are being represented by the party legislators.
Reacting to her statement, BJP’s Pilibhit district president Suresh Gangwar said she should not use such language for MLAs. He accused her of repeatedly using such language and questioned her claim of her house getting sold.
“She has not got such works done that her house would be sold,” he said.
Kishan Lal Rajput, MLA from Barkhera said none of the four leaders have made big houses.
"I have been living in my parental home in Jahanabad, and I have not made any luxurious alterations to it after I won the assembly seat," Rajput said.
"As far as the other three MLAs are concerned, Sanjay Gangwar from Pilibhit City already has a big house, while Ramsaran Verma in Bisalpur and Babu Ram Paswan in Puranpur are living happily in simple structures which their parents built long ago," he added.
Gandhi's spokesperson defended her statement saying that minister was not referring to any party.
"The minister was not referring to legislators of BJP or any other party in any way. She had given an example of those corrupt public representatives who have in previous times misused their political privileges to serve their vested interest, ignoring their accountability to the masses," her spokesperson Mohd Rizwan Malik was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
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