Lucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have declared a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption, but BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh’s deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya has an outlook more in line with that of his predecessor and Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav.
At a function in Lucknow to felicitate meritorious students, Maurya’s advice for officials sounded a lot like he was saying do take a bribe, but ensure it is not too much.
“Kamao lekin dal main namak barabar hona chahiye. Khao jaise dal main namak khaya jata hai (Eat but not more than the salt you would put in your food),” he told the officials in attendance.
Whether Maurya quoted a wrong proverb or his message was just lost in translation is up for debate. But to many, it sounded like he was okay with corruption in moderation, leaving the BJP red-faced.
Maurya had started off by giving a stern warning to contractors and officials. He said, “Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government will not allow contractors and government officers to get away with the money allocated for development projects. It will not be accepted that money comes in for a road but the road is never built.”
But then came the ‘dal mein namak’ jibe. The remarks also came as a shock to the officers and students attending the function.
Incidentally, Shivpal Yadav also had a similar advice for officials when he was the PWD minister of Uttar Pradesh. “You (officials) can steal a little provided you get the work done... but never try to commit robbery,” Shivpal had said.
The statement has given the Opposition ammunition to question BJP government's policy of zero-tolerance towards corruption.
Congress UP spokesperson Amarnath Agarwal said the deputy CM’s remarks are a reflection of truth. “Dil ki baat juban pur aa gayi (He uttered what he actually feels),” said Agarwal. “There had already been a large scale corruption by the PWD ministry headed by Maurya in the name of patching up potholes,” he added.
BJP, however, claimed that Maurya’s comment was being read out of context. “Mr Maurya made it clear in very strong words that corruption and corrupt both will not be tolerated under BJP rule. The Opposition is trying to create an unneeded controversy,” said party spokesperson Dr Chandramohan, adding that people of the state had seen the good work government of the BJP government and would not be swayed by such baseless allegations.
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