#SoMuchSwachhBharat: Rajasthan health minister caught peeing in public, says ‘not a big issue’

But wasn't Jaipur completely open-defecation free?

By: TK Sreeraj |
February 15, 2018 4:04 pm

Even as Jaipur Municipal Corporation is working full-time to ensure that the city tops the charts under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, here is Rajasthan’s health minister doing the exact opposite. Kalicharan Saraf, who is an MLA from Jaipur was spotted urinating on the wall on the roadside.

This is the photograph which has gone viral:

#Rajasthan Health Minister #KaliCharanSaraf urinating at roadside under a govt which claims record work in #ODF @OfficeOfRG @SachinPilot @VasundharaBJP @PMOIndia @vidyarthee pic.twitter.com/5z3ce461bn

— Danish Abrar (@danishabrar2016) February 13, 2018

As per the civic rules, there is a fine of Rs 200 if anyone is found urinating in public. However, when the minister was questioned, he refused to apologise. “Baat nahi karunga ispe. Itna bada issue nahi hai (Won’t talk on this. It’s not that big an issue)”, was his reply.

ALSO READ: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan shortcut: Instead of toilets, holes dug in Uttar Pradesh

The incident comes weeks after Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje talked about making the state open defecation free (ODF) in her Budget speech. Last month, she had declared Jaipur an open defecation free district.

Needless to say, it sparked a volley of reactions on Twitter:

He is medical and health minister and see how much he is aware and Swacch Bharat Swasth Bharat.

— Avi Khanna (@I_am_Avi_Khanna) February 14, 2018

Ha ha . Where is the PM’s swach Bharat agenda?? Bunch of jokers.

— No cOck ‘n BulL (@dazzaptj) February 14, 2018

@PMOIndia @narendramodi @VasundharaBJP
SWACHH BHARAT ….
* Be the change you what to see *

— Darshan M (@darshanik1) February 14, 2018

Kalicharan naam kaun rakhta h

— उपासना, फेक फेमिनिस्ट !!! (@i_upasana) February 15, 2018

सवक्ष भारत अभियान मे सहयोग करते हुऊ

— Md Ashif Eqbal (@MdAshifEqbal1) February 15, 2018

Saraf’s embarrassing act isn’t the first as ministers in India have often been caught urinating in public. In November last year, Maharashtra water conservation minister Ram Shinde was caught relieving himself at a stretch of the Solapur-Barshi road.

In June, union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh also sparked a similar controversy after he was caught urinating in public in Motihari, Bihar during a visit to attend an event.