Balrampur (Uttar Pradesh): Uttar Pradesh Minister of Backward Class Welfare and Disabled People Development, Om Prakash Rajbhar, has accused the poor of being 'alcoholics' who would vote for anyone offering them chicken and alcohol.
Rajbhar is also the president of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj party, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally in the UP government.
"Baati-chokha kaccha vote, daaru murga pakka vote. Saare garib daaru peete ho, murga khaake vote dete ho aur ye Delhi, Lucknow jaane waale neta 5 saal tujhe murga banake ghumate hain (Baati-chokha are unsure votes, alcohol and chicken are assured votes. Political leaders take advantage of the poor's weakness for alcohol and chicken and once they become powerful ministers in Lucknow or Delhi, they make chickens of the same voters.)," the minister said.
This is not the first time Rajbhar has lashed out at the economically-backward classes.
Three months ago, he slammed members of his own Rajbhar community saying in a day, they consume alcohol worth what the Bharatiya Janata Party spends in a month.
Rajbhar has also embarrassed his own party when in September this year, he openly announced a rally against BJP, claiming they have not been able to control the corruption in the country.
