‘Brahmins, baniyas are in my pockets’: BJP leader sparks row, Congress demands apology

After a 6-second video of Rao's controversial remark surfaced on social media and was shared by several leaders of the opposition, state Congress president Kamal Nath lashed out at the BJP.

Image Credit: PMuralidharRao@Twitter

Bhopal: BJP general secretary P Muralidhar Rao has triggered a huge row with his statement that people belonging to Brahmin and Baniya communities are in his "pockets". Rao, in charge of Madhya Pradesh, came under attack from the Congress which sought an apology from the BJP leader, who later claimed the opposition party has "distorted" his statement. 

Addressing a press conference here at the BJP's state headquarters, Rao said the party and its governments are going to have a special focus on scheduled tribes and scheduled castes, not as vote-banks but to address their concern like backwardness, employment and education. 

After this, journalists asked Rao that perception about the BJP has been that it is a political party of ‘Brahmins-Baniyas’ and he was talking about a special focus on SCs/STs at a time when the saffron outfit's slogan is ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ (with all, for everyone's development). 

In reply, the BJP leader, while pointing towards his kurta's pockets, said, “Brahmins and Baniyas are in my pockets. You (media people) termed us a Brahmin and Baniya party when most workers and vote bank were from these sections.” Rao said adding that the BJP is working towards gaining trust of all sections of the society. 

“When the number of people belonging to certain sections was higher, people used to say the party belongs to them. We are working to add more people from the SC/ST sections in our party after finding their lower representation. We are reaching out to all and making the BJP a party for every section,” he said. 

Rao said the BJP is not leaving out any section, including Brahmins and Baniyas, from its representation, but only including those who were left out to become a national party in the true sense. 

After a 6-second video of Rao's controversial remark surfaced on social media and was shared by several leaders of opposition, state Congress president Kamal Nath lashed out at the BJP. 

In a statement here, the former CM said the BJP gave the slogan “sabka saath sabka vikas” and his party's general secretary is saying the Brahmins and Baniyas are in his pockets.

सबका साथ - सबका विकास का नारा देने वाली भाजपा के मध्यप्रदेश के प्रभारी कह रहे है कि हमारी एक जेब में बनिया है, एक जेब में ब्राह्मण है।

यह तो इन वर्गों का घोर अपमान है, भाजपा के मुताबिक़ ये वर्ग उनकी बपौती है, उनकी जेब में है।

— Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) November 8, 2021

“This is an insult of these sections as the BJP is claiming its right over them. What kind of respect is given to these classes whose leaders have played an important role in building the BJP. BJP leaders have become arrogant due to power,” he said. 

जिस वर्ग के नेताओ ने भाजपा को खड़ा करने में अपनी महती भूमिका निभायी है , उन वर्गों का यह कैसा सम्मान…?

भाजपा के नेता सत्ता के नशे व अहंकार में चूर हो गये है।

यह तो पूरे बनिया व ब्राह्मण वर्ग का अपमान है।

भाजपा नेतृत्व इसके लिये इन वर्गों से अविलंब माफ़ी माँगे।

— Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) November 8, 2021

Nath said the BJP should seek an apology from these communities. “A party which talk about sabka saath, sabka vikas is now focussing on certain sections for power,” he said. 

जो लोग सबका साथ- सबका विकास का नारा देते है, वो आज एक वर्ग को फ़ोकस करने की बात कर रहे है और दो वर्गों का खुलेआम अपमान कर रहे है, इनकी यह कैसी मानसिकता, कैसी सोच…?
सत्ता की हवस के लिये भाजपा किसी भी हद तक जा सकती है, इनकी नीति- नियत - सिद्धांत सब सत्ता तक ही सीमित है।

— Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) November 8, 2021

Later, in a video statement, Rao said the Congress has a habit of "distorting" facts and statements. 

विभाजन की राजनीति कांग्रेस की पुरानी आदत है, इसी कारण कांग्रेस का देश में पतन हो रहा है।

: भाजपा प्रदेश प्रभारी श्री @PMuralidharRao pic.twitter.com/uOLPjaZx3E

— BJP MadhyaPradesh (@BJP4MP) November 8, 2021

“We don't discriminate among sections of the society. All Indians should be part of development. The Congress betrayed and divided all sections of the society. If STs are backward, the only reason is that the Congress has done injustice to them,” the BJP leader said.