BHOPAL: Senior BJP leader Uma Bharati has called for reservation in the private sector, and when told that officials mislead politicians, she said that bureaucracy has no “aukat” and that it “picks up politicians’ footwears.”
The video went viral on social media on Monday. In the evening, she expressed remorse over her language. Tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP, she tweeted: “I am anguished that I used ‘ansanyat’ (intemperate) language when my intentions were good. I have learnt a lesson that one should talk properly even while talking informally in public.” Bharti, a former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, had made the remark when an OBC delegation called on her at her bungalow in Bhopal two days ago.
When they talked about reservation and caste census, Bharti said OBCs wouldn’t benefit unless they get reservation in the private sector. OBCs must be united first, and stop fighting against each other, she said.
When talking on OBC issues, she said that people had a “misunderstanding” about bureaucracy. “Do you think bureaucracy misleads politicians? No, no. We first talk one on one and then the file is processed. They cannot mislead because we give them salary, promotions, demotions and postings,” she is heard saying in the video.
The former CM then questions the “aukat” of bureaucracy and said it was nothing but “picking up our chappals”.
She was also heard talking about Lingayat politics of Karnataka and how leaders like Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar agree with her on some issues.
Meanwhile, state Congress on Monday came down heavily on the BJP after a video of former Union minister Uma Bharti went viral in which she claimed that the bureaucracy carries footwear of leaders. Former chief minister and Rajya Sabha Digvijaya Singh demanded an apology from Bharti.
Taking to Twitter on Monday evening, Digvijaya Singh said, “What is the stature of the bureaucracy, they carry our slippers – controversial statement from former Union minister Uma Bharti.”
The senior Congress leader also tweeted, “Uma, as my younger sister, you have been cautioning me to speak less. But the offensive words you have used against bureaucrats is highly objectionable.”
