Claiming that Muslims and Yadavs did not vote for him in the Lok Sabha elections, Devesh Chandra Thakur, newly elected JD (U) MP from Sitamarhi in Bihar, said Monday that he would “not do any work for them”. The remarks by Thakur, who just stepped down as chairperson of the Bihar Legislative Council, drew sharp criticism from not just the rival RJD but also from his own party’s Banka MP who demanded an apology. Addressing a function in Sitamarhi, Thakur, who defeated RJD’s Arjun Rai, a Yadav, in the Sitamarhi parliamentary constituency said Yadavs and Muslims did not vote for him in the elections. “Yadav aur Musalman hamare yahan aate hain to unka swagat hai. Chai pijiye, mithai khaiye. Lekin main aapka koi kaam nahi karunga (Yadavs and Muslims who come to me are welcome. They can have tea and sweets. But I will not do any work for them),” he said. Later, speaking to reporters, Thakur said, “I stand by what I said. I have been saying it for some time. I have been working for people for the last 25 years without any discrimination.” Asked why he singled out Yadavs and Muslims, he said, “I can do any work for the common public but I will do the personal work of these two communities.” He did not offer any explanation on how he concluded that Yadavs and Muslims did not vote for him. Responding to Thakur’s remarks, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said, “We condemn the remarks of Thakur. His remarks are defamatory, casteist and anti-religion. It shows the feudalistic attitude of Thakur.” JD (U) Banka MP Giridhari Yadav said, “I condemn the statement of Thakur and demand an immediate apology from him.” BJP OBC Morcha national general secretary Nikhil Anand also came out with a strongly-worded statement, without mentioning Thakur by name. “Giving vent to frustration in a manner that smacks of caste prejudice is shameful and deplorable in politics. The BJP takes all social segments along. In Bihar, no political party can succeed if it tries to marginalise Yadavs, who are 14 per cent of the total population,” Anand said.
