“I was on a visit to a flood-hit area of Nishads where while interacting with them I said that for seeking salvation, people from far away place come to take the holy dip in Ganges and here Ganga ‘maiya’ was right at their doorstep,” the minister told PTI.

“We Nishads worship rivers, our source of life and livelihoods. So the remark has its own context,” the minister said.

During his visit, the minister also reportedly spoke about a policeman from the Nishad community in Prayagraj whose videos of worshipping Ganga waters at his doorstep and swimming in the flood waters have gone viral.

“Yes, the minister did make a mention of the Prayagraj cop as he too is a Nishad and again the reference was to merely highlight the high esteem in which Ganga ‘maiya’ in particular and all other rivers in general are kept by the community,” a minister’s aide said.

Flaying Nishad’s remark, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sharvendra Bikram Singh said this shows the insensitivity of the minister.

“He is not aware of the ground reality and the situation in which flood affected people are living. The state government has failed to provide relief to the people and its minister are looking for photo opportunities. At a time when people are losing their homes and livelihoods due to floods, such statements show how disconnected UP ministers are from ground reality,” Singh said.

The Congress dubbed Nishad’s remarks ‘astha ka apman (insult of faith)’.

“Such irresponsible statements are akin to ‘astha ka apman’. There are ministers who are preaching swadeshi but moving about in swanky, imported cars,” UP Congress Committee chief Ajay Rai told PTI.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has constituted team of officers and ministers, who are visiting flood affected areas.