Bahujan Samaj Party chairperson Mayawati waded into the controversy about 'adulterated' food saying that the government was trying to do politics out of it when there were already strict laws to deal with the same.
On Thursday morning Mayawati took to X to post: “…people are agitated by the news about the adulteration of the prasadam at Tirupati and there is politics going on around it. Who is the real criminal behind the dirty game of playing politics under the garb of religion"?
This is the latest in a string of responses to the UP government’s strong stance against food adulteration. The government has said that there will be a time-bound verification of all employees at eateries, restaurants, dhabas besides a prominent display of names and addresses of proprietors and owners.
Mayawati posted, “There are strict laws about adulteration…yet because of the government’s negligence/complicities adulteration is rampant…by forcing people to put up their names on shops will the black market of adulteration be wiped out…”
Former BJP MLA Vikram Saini meanwhile called upon people to take action against those making food impure. This comes when a viral video that allegedly shows a juice seller spitting into it has gone viral. This video is purportedly from Ghaziabad.
“Do not depend on the police. People should come forward on their own and hit such people with shoes”, said Saini in Muzaffarnagar.
“This is not just the police’s duty. This is something that society should address as a whole. Such people should not be spared. If someone mixes something dirty in juice the juice is drunk by Hindus…and by Muslims…”, said Saini.
Saini’s statement should be viewed against the backdrop that he is trying to get a ticket for his son from the Mirapur Vidhan Sabha seat in Muzaffarnagar. This is one of the 10 seats on which polls are to be held soon. He has qualified his statement saying that he fully supports Yogi Adityanath’s strict stance towards those who attempt to serve impure or adulterated food items.
Muzaffarnagar though is a seat that might be given to the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) which is in alliance with the BJP.
Saini said, "Even if the seat goes to the RLD I will support the candidate".