Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Friday triggered a fresh row, saying people wearing lungis and netted skullcaps used to intimidate and scare traders in the State before the BJP came to power in 2017.
Addressing traders in Prayagraj ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections, Mr. Maurya took a dig at the law and order situation under the previous Samajwadi Party government with the communally-laced remark, even though he did not name any community.
“Tell me, before 2017 Vidhan Sabha election, how many lungi chaap [lungi-clad] goondas would roam about? With netted round skullcaps and armed with rifles, revolvers and guns, who would scare and intimidate traders? Who would grab your land and threaten you to not go and lodge a complaint?,” he stated.
He asked those gathered at the event to remember all of this.
Mr. Maurya, who recently triggered a controversy by tweeting that preparation was on for construction of a temple in Mathura, also asked if the audience saw goondas any longer under the BJP rule.
