Lucknow erupted in political fireworks on Wednesday as Uttar Pradesh Fisheries Minister and Nishad Party president Sanjay Nishad unleashed a scathing attack on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. The trigger was the chaotic scenes in the UP Assembly during the budget session, where SP legislators disrupted proceedings and snatched speech papers.
Quoting a poignant couplet, Nishad remarked, ‘Our own looted us, where was the strength in strangers? The boat sank where the water was shallow.’ In an exclusive interview, he accused the SP of ruling for 30 years while plundering the state. ‘The Sachar Committee report exposed their true character,’ he said. ‘They flaunt PDA – Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak – but it’s a facade for inflicting pain, sorrow, and humiliation on the masses.’
Nishad challenged the SP’s record on his community: ‘Show me one rupee spent on Nishads in 30 years. They devoured funds meant from Delhi.’ He alleged they seized money at gunpoint and demanded security for his community, claiming SP tenures saw assassinations of Nishad leaders without CBI probes. ‘If Azam Khan’s buffalo can be traced, why not our leaders’ killers?’
Highlighting caste ironies, Nishad noted the Social Justice Committee reports: 27% for Milk Men, 23% for Leather Men, but where’s the share for Others? ‘They’re crocodiles devouring fishermen,’ he fumed. Despite his Scheduled Caste listing in presidential notifications, he questioned the 1994 OBC shift for Nishads.
On a controversial film title sparking caste debates, Nishad urged pre-production title finalization and legal curbs. Reacting to Arshad Madani’s doomsday remarks, he pitied Muslims as ‘illiterate and jobless under these contractors,’ emphasizing national brotherhood ruined by dishonesty. He advised Swami Avimukteshwaranand to stick to spiritual propagation over politics.
As UP’s political landscape heats up, Nishad’s bold stance underscores deepening divides ahead of future polls, positioning his party as a fierce defender of marginalized voices.