Devesh Chandra Thakur, a newly elected JDU MP from Bihar's Sitamarhi, sparked controversy after he said in a viral video that he will not help Yadavs and Muslims as they did not vote for him.
"I have made it clear that Yadavs and Muslims must not expect me to be of any help to them. They will be treated with due respect, even offered tea and snacks, when they call on me. But I will not take up any of their problems," the lawmaker from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's party said in the widely circulated video.
In the clip, Thakur can be heard naming communities that did not vote for him, including Suris, Kalwars and Kushwahas. "I did not get votes of Suris and Kalwars. Even the Kushwahas deserted me. Just because respected Lalu Prasad gave tickets to many Kushwahas. Could a Kushwaha elected from elsewhere be of any help to members of the community in my constituency?" said the 71-year-old MP.
The former chairman of the Bihar legislative council said he expressed his sentiment when a Muslim voter visited him after the elections. "I asked the Muslim brother how can you expect me to work for you when you did not vote for me just because my party is aligned with the BJP," the MP said, claiming that the visitor left feeling regret for his voting choice.
Thakur became a first-time Parliamentarian in the recently held elections, defeating RJD rival and former MP Arjun Roy winning the seat by a margin of less than 55,000 votes.
Thakur's remarks have put the JDU in a corner with the opposition parties, especially the RJD, expressing their disapproval. RJD chief spokesperson Bhai Virendra said, "The remarks made by Thakur are objectionable. An MP is the representative of all sections of society in his constituency.”
Allies too didn't come for JDU's rescue. BJP OBC Morcha national general secretary Nikhil Anand said, "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.”
JD(U) chief spokesman Neeraj Kumar defended the embattled MP, saying, "It is unthinkable that Thakur will discriminate against any section of society. He was just expressing his pain at not getting votes of even those whom he may have helped him personally but who got swayed by other considerations."