Satyadev Pachauri, Yogi govt minister, insults 'divyang' worker, says how will 'Swachch Bharat' be achieved if you continue to recruit lame and feeble'

Lucknow: While Prime Minister Narendra Modi insists on using the word 'divyang' to show respect to physically disabled persons, a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has made highly insensitive remarks against a disabled person during a surprise inspection.

According to reports, Khadi and Village Industries Minister Satyadev Pachauri, who was on a surprise visit to the Khadi Gramodyog Board's Office in the Dolly Bagh locality, was highly annoyed with dirt and filth lying in the office premises. The minister ordered the entire office to be immediately locked up and asked all Board employees to accompany him during the inspection.  

He even asked the Khadi Board's CEO to immediately summon all sanitation workers for questioning. When a disabled sanitation worker was presented before him, he inquired if he was a permanent employee or a contractual worker.

On learning that the disabled man in question was a contractual worker, the minister reportedly told the CEO, ''If you recruit the lame and feeble, how will you fulfill the Swachch Bharat mission.''

Ironically, the minister made the insulting remark in front of the disabled worker and the entire incident was caught on camera.

Later, the visuals of the incident were widely shared on the social media. 

When quizzed about the incident, the minister denied making such disrespectful comments against the member of the divyang community.