'Children kept hungry for 8 hrs at UP Minister's event'

A day after stinging people to the quick with her 'mosquito' remark, Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Anupama Jaiswal has found herself back in the headlines.

At an event attended by the Basic Education Minister in Bahraich, school children were allegedly kept hungry and made to wait for eight hours before her arrival. The students were reportedly called in at 12 pm even though the event was scheduled to begin at 8 pm.

The kids were seen crying at the event as they were hungry and thirsty and no arrangement for food or water was made.

One of the children present at the event told ANI, "My brother is crying because he is hungry and there is nothing to eat, and we will also have to go home alone."

A specially-abled person further expressed his grievances, saying, "We were called for the event at 5:30 pm and were provided with no assistance, we were just pushed into the crowd."

When questioned about the negligence, the minister said, 'I don't know why children were seated 8 hours in advance. Concerned teachers are answerable. I will find out who is responsible for this act, and will take appropriate action."

On Friday, Jaiswal sparked a controversy by saying that the BJP leaders visiting Dalit houses brave mosquito bites the whole night.

Jaiswal, who is Basic Education Minister in Yogi Adityanath government, had said, "Schemes are made for benefitting all the sections and to ensure proper implementation, ministers are paying several visits, even if mosquitoes bite them all night."

Meanwhile, the ruling party's Dalit, OBC outreach programme has been drawing flak from opposition Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and some BJP leaders, including MP Udit Raj.