Lucknow, May 27 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday took a swipe at Uttar Pradesh minister Dharampal Singh, who has drawn sharp reactions for his claim that a machine capable of converting "garbage into gold" would soon be installed in Meerut.
Attaching a video clip of the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister's statement in a post on X, Yadav said Singh should focus on operationalising a milk plant in Kannauj before making such far-fetched claims.
In a longer version of the video, Singh appears to refer to turning garbage into manure. However, his "kooda se sona" (garbage to gold) remark quickly went viral on social media, attracting criticism and ridicule from opposition leaders and the public alike.
Posting on X, Yadav quipped, "I request UP's dairy minister to first operationalise the already-built cow milk plant in Kannauj and ensure some income for dairy farmers before talking about machines that convert garbage into gold."
"It seems there's an ongoing competition in the BJP to make far-fetched claims," he added.
Yadav also hinted at corruption, saying, "Perhaps the minister means that BJP's corruption has grown to such an extent that they now plan to earn commission even from garbage disposal contracts. Even he knows the literal meaning of his words can't be true. He is speaking in code."
"For speaking about dishonesty in such a refined manner, both he and his leader deserve congratulations. All of Uttar Pradesh is blessed to hear such ideas," the SP chief said sarcastically.
In the video, the minister is seen telling news channel Bharat Samachar that work is underway in Meerut to install a machine that could turn "kooda" (garbage) from drains into "kanchan" (wealth) or "sona" (gold). In a follow-up comment, Singh clarified that the garbage would be turned into manure and other by-products to "create wealth from it."
Adding to the chorus of reactions, the Samajwadi Party's student wing has extended a tongue-in-cheek invitation to the minister.
In a letter addressed to Singh, Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha national general secretary Babar Chauhan invited him to visit Lohia Nagar on Meerut's Hapur Road, an area where "thousands of tonnes of garbage" remain unaddressed.
"Since we have learned from the news that you have mastered the art of turning garbage into gold, we humbly invite you to demonstrate your technique in Lohia Nagar and rid Meerut of its waste," the letter read.
The student wing said such a feat would not only benefit the city but also improve the state's economy.
"Kindly help us turn this garbage into gold so that it can contribute to the prosperity of the state and the country," Chauhan wrote in the letter, laced with satire.