His remark on death sparks a row,UP govt moves out Secy (Home)

R M Srivastava,Principal Secretary (Home) said: “Upadhyay has been transferred for laughing while replying to a query on the death of a man and his three children in Sonbhadra. He should have been more composed on such a serious issue.”

Upadhyay has not been given a new posting and put on the wait list.

During the routine press briefing of the home department at the media centre of Lal Bahadur Shastri Bhawan on Wednesday,when a reporter asked Upadhyay about the motive behind the Sonbhadra incident,he first signalled the electronic channel reporters to switch off their cameras. He then went on to relate an incident about Gautam Buddha.

“Once Buddha asked what was the cause of death. One person replied old age,on which he replied that even young people die.”

Upadhyay said that “another person replied illness on which Buddha said that even medically fit people die”.

“Then people asked Buddha about the reason and he said birth,” he said.

“Janm hi mrityu ka karan hai,aur aap pooch rahein hain mrityu ka karan kya hai. (Birth is the reason of the death and you people are asking reason behind the death),” he said and laughed out loudly.

The press briefing was,however,captured on camera and aired on TV channels.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav took strong notice of Upadhyay’s behaviour and sought a report. Later,the Chief Secretary’s office issued a press note mentioning that Upadhyay has been moved.