Author: Agencies
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: August 10, 2012
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/shivpal-yadav-to-babus-you-can-steal-but-dont-be-dacoits/986532/0

In yet another shocking statement emerging from supremo Mulayam Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP) stables, a senior leader has virtually given official sanction to administrators to steal.

According to reports, SP's Shivpal Singh Yadav told bureaucrats and police that it is OK to steal if they work hard.

He is the uncle of Akhilesh Yadav.

Speaking to UP PWD officials, the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department Minister said, “As long as you work hard and get things done, you can steal a little.”

He went on to add that this 'stealing' should not get transformed into general 'loot' of the people.

Chairing a meeting of district programme committee yesterday in Etah, Shivpal, the PWD Minister, said, "Maine to usi din PWD walo se khule aam keh diya tha agar mehnat karoge to thodi bahut chori kar sakte ho, dakaiti nahi daloge (I have already told PWD people openly that if you work hard, you can steal a little, but don't behave like dacoits").

"Agar mehnat karoge, jee lagaoge, agar inhe meetha paani de doge to chori kar sakte ho (If you work hard, if you give them water then you can steal)," he had stated.

These statements caused an uproar in the country, leading all parties to condemn the SP's work ethic, saying corruption in India cannot be ended with such people in power.

At SP's hurriedly convened press conference in Lucknow today, Shivpal tried to explain away his comments in a bizarre manner by adding 'context' to it.

The Minister said the SP government had come to power vowing to end corruption.

In his defence, Yadav said he had no intention of promoting corruption, instead he was actually speaking against it.

Thereafter, he started blaming the media, saying he had no idea reporters were present there - 'Mere ko nahi pata woh chori se kaise andar a gaye" (literally, they slunk in like thieves).

Shivpal said that the media should have known better than print stuff like this, colouring his comments.

Stating that such a practice was against journalistic ethics, he claimed that only a portion of recording was shown and not the entire informal discussion, which was going on after the meeting.

He said, "We have always cooperated with the media, now media should also understand my position. Media should have spoken to me first before publicising these comments."

"In the past four months I have suspended 125 officers involved in corruption. Our objective is to eradicate corruption and I have directed 100 per cent quality in works done by my department. There is no chance of any theft or stealing of public money", he said.

Before walking away, a puzzled Shivpal said, "I have no idea why the media gets angry?", indicating that he still has not realised the gravity of his outrageous comments.

Shivpal Yadav was at the centre of another storm a few months ago when he recommended that people kill and eat the Nilgais as they tasted great - this was in response to widespread calls for saving cows from slaughter.

Slamming Shivpal's comments, BJP leader Lalji Tandon said "A minister's statement is like a policy of the government and if he says so then the government is offering a license to steal the public money. It is not appropriate for a minister to talk like this".

Former SP leader Shahid Siddiqui said, "Shivpal has always been making such statements. On Nithari incident he had said (such) things keep happening and we know how heinous that crime was".

"Now he (Shivpal) said steal but not loot...please steal, there is nothing wrong but do not loot," Siddiqui said, adding "It is very unfortunate that a minister who is the uncle of the Chief Minister and who does not consider himself anything less than a Chief Minister talks in such a way".

"This awful situation was not even there during Mayawati's regime and now you are giving officers a free hand to steal," Siddiqui said.

Asked about his allegation against BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya, Shivpal claimed that he had detected Rs one crore fraud committed by him in the previous regime.

On Maurya's statement that he would take retirement from politics if his allegations were proved true, Yadav said he should do so.

Terming Shivpal's statement as "unfortunate", UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi said an emphatic clarification should come from the minister.

"Corruption of any magnitude cannot be tolerated", she said.

Leader of opposition in Vidhan Sabha and senior BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya said a statement of this nature from a minister is like a "licence to steal and is most shameful".

"It amounts to encouraging corruption which would only result in the official machinery going out of control", Maurya said, adding "it only shows the mental bankruptcy of the SP government".

Tandon noted that corruption was a major issue facing the country and the statement of a senior minister is taken as a "policy statement".

BSP leader Sudhindra Bhadoria said during last elections "Our BSP chief and then UP CM Mayawati had warned that if SP government comes to power, suppression of people and corruption in government will increase".