UP assembly erupts after fisheries minister accuses SP of cornering OBC benefits

Lucknow: A massive uproar broke out in the UP assembly during the ongoing state Budget session after fisheries minister Sanjay Nishad accused Samajwadi Party functionaries of being "baimaan" (cheat) and alleged that they cornered a majority share of benefits meant for OBCs.Though the minister did not name any particular community directly, his remarks were widely perceived as an apparent reference to the Yadav community, traditionally considered a core support base of the SP.
Nishad's comments triggered strong protests from SP legislators, who began raising slogans against him. The situation escalated as several opposition members trooped into the Well of the House and moved towards the minister in protest, leading to a brief disruption of proceedings.Adding fuel to the fire, Nishad also targeted leader of opposition Mata Prasad Pandey, accusing him of using the term ‘chamar' inappropriately while referring to the Nishad community during a debate one day ago. The minister demanded an apology from Pandey and warned that he would lodge a police complaint and stage a dharna if the apology was not forthcoming.Despite repeated interventions from assembly speaker Satish Mahana, who urged the minister to confine his remarks to the state Budget, Nishad remained firm and continued to press his allegations.Defending his community, Nishad said the Nishads played a significant role in India's freedom struggle. He further claimed that during British rule, the Nishad community was labelled a "criminal caste", and questioned whether similar treatment was ever meted out to the Yadav community.The treasury benches backed the minister, countering the opposition's protests by accusing the SP of contradicting its PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) narrative. They alleged that the opposition was attempting to silence a leader emerging from a most backward class (MBC) background.The heated exchanges stalled the House for some time, with both sides trading sharp accusations before normalcy was gradually restored.