Speaks his mind, stands by it

There are few politicians who speak their minds and fewer who stand by what they say. Madhya Pradesh8217;s Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Gopal Bhargava...

There are few politicians who speak their minds and fewer who stand by what they say. Madhya Pradesh8217;s Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Gopal Bhargava is one politician who may not always say the right thing at the right time but is never shy of owning up.

A day after his sacrilegious comment that Brahmins don8217;t need reservations and that they should leave quotas to beggars, he stood by his remarks saying he is free to express his opinion, especially when the platform is private he said this at a function in the presence of the chief minister. The minister8217;s bungalow in Bhopal was stoned, his nameplate gouged out and a police complaint was lodged against him for his 8220;beggar8221; remark but the 56-year-old Brahmin MLA from Sagar is unfazed.

Never at a loss for words, Bhargava said all he meant was that Brahmins should not ask for reservation. He even dared Congress president Suresh Pachauri, a Brahmin, to contest against him from any seat. 8220;The result will prove even backward castes are with me,8221; he said in response to the Congress charge that the 8216;beggar8217; remark was an insult to those who are seeking reservation and those who had already got it.

A few months ago, he threatened to walk into the Pradesh Congress Committee office and beat Congressmen with 8216;chappals8217;. His outburst was in response to an agitation that the rival party launched against him for participating in a seemingly crude but traditional dance from Bundelkhand.

The BJP has done little about its outspoken minister, except cringe. His biggest folly on the floor of the Assembly was in the early 1990s when Sundarlal Patwa was the chief minister. When someone referred to a woman MLA from Jabalpur as 8216;kumari8217;, he wanted to know if there was any proof. The controversy led to the disruption of the House and brought the chief minister to tears.

Govind Singh Rajput, a Congress MLA, said, 8220;Though Bhargava projects himself as a messiah of Brahmins, he wants votes from all castes and pampers them all.8221;