Lucknow, October 27: Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Saturday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the state for 'playing communal politics'. Addressing a gathering, Om Prakash Rajbhar, who heads Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, said he has lost faith in the BJP and vowed to resign from the UP cabinet.

"I am not here to stay in power but to fight for the poor. Should I fight for poor or remain BJP's salve? Even an office is not given to me. I have decided I will announce my resignation from this stage," Rajbhar, who is the minister of the Department of Backward Classes Welfare, said. He went on to say that the BJP plays communal politics and neglect development. UP Minister OP Rajbhar Targets His Own Govt Again, Says Official Bungalow to Shivpal Yadav Proves He is Under BJP’s ‘Protection’.

"Whenever I speak of poor, they (BJP) start talking about Mandir-Masjid and Hindu-Muslim," the minister alleged, referring to the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid dispute in Ayodhya. Rajbhar has been criticising the BJP government in the state and at the Centre since last few months. Earlier, he warned the BJP that it would face the consequences if it does not clear its stand on reservations for backwards.

Speaking on Giriraj Singh, who advocated erasing all signs of Mughal and medieval era rulers, Rajbhar had dared the Centre to change the name of Red Fort. "Jo neta Bihar waale (Giriraj Singh) bayan de rahe hain, wo jis road pe chalte hain usko unke dada banaye hain? GT Road Sher Shah Suri ne banaya hai. Ek nayi sadak bana ke dikha dein, bayan dena alag baat hai. Yeh janata ka dhyaan khaali bhatkate hain," he had said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 27, 2018 03:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).