Uttar Pradesh BJP MLA Suresh Tewari has kicked up a row after he allegedly asked people not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors, prompting the party to issue him a show-cause notice on Tuesday.
The legislator from Barhaj constituency in Deoria district was seen in a video clip purportedly telling people: "I am saying this openly: don't purchase vegetables from Muslims (Ek cheez dhayan mein rakhiyega, main bol raha hoon openly, koi bhi miyan ke hathon sabzi nahi lega)."
When asked about his remark, Tewari said, "On April 17th or 18th, I was distributing masks and sanitizers among the people. When I reached the boundary of the nagar palika, around 17-18 people came to me and started complaining against Tablighi Jamaat members creating chaos and spreading coronavirus and also contaminating vegetables with their saliva."