Yogi’s Minister’s Remarks on ‘Divyang’ Employee Sparks Controversy

“You have kept a ‘loola-langda’ on adhoc. What will he do?”

Satyadev Pachauri, Khadi Minister of Uttar Pradesh. (Photo: ANI Screengrab)

Uttar Pradesh Minister Satyadev Pachauri allegedly insulted a physically disabled employee during a surprise inspection, a video of which is doing rounds on the social media.

This incident comes days after the Yogi Adityanath government renamed the 'Viklang Kalyan Vibhag' (Handicap Welfare Department) as 'Divyang Jan Shasaktikaran Vibhag' (Divyang Empowerment Department).

The Khadi and Village Industries Minister allegedly made a derogatory reference when he came across a 'divyang' adhoc employee on Wednesday while he was conducting a surprise inspection of the department's office.

You have kept a ‘loola-langda’ (diasbled person) on adhoc. What will he do? This is the reason behind lack of hygiene here.

Satyadev Pachauri, Khadi Minister

Pachauri later issued a clarification on the issue and tried to play down the controversy by saying that he never intended to call the sanitation worker disabled but implied that he was weak.

The worker isn’t disabled, he is weak. All I said was why have you employed a weak person who can’t do the job? What I am trying to say is give him a job that he can do while he is sitting. How can he do the cleaning job? I never said he must be fired.

Satyadev Pachauri, Khadi Minister

Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim