Nishad community not anyone’s vote bank, knows how to make and break governments: Sanjay Nishad

The National President of the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD Party) and Uttar Pradesh Fisheries Minister, Dr Sanjay Nishad, on Tuesday asserted that the Nishad community is not anyone’s vote bank.

“We don’t just catch fish in rivers and ponds; we also know how to make and break governments,” he said, reiterating his demand for a CBI inquiry into the murders of Phoolan Devi and the late Jamuna Nishad.

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The 13th Sankalp Diwas (Resolution Day) of the NISHAD Party was held at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Auditorium, Ram Manohar Lohia Law University.

The programme was attended by Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) coordinator Abhishek Verma, Leader of the House Ramesh Singh, office-bearers of Apna Dal (S), and a large number of NISHAD Party workers and functionaries.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Sanjay Nishad recalled that on January 13, 2013, he had taken a pledge at the fort of Maharaja Guhyaraj Nishad in Shringveradham to bring an end to governments that exploit the fishing community. Referring to the 2024 Sant Kabir Nagar Lok Sabha election, he said that Praveen Nishad was “not defeated, but made to lose,” and asserted that those responsible would be identified and taught a lesson.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju praised the NISHAD Party, stating that its alliance with the BJP is like a family and that all issues would be resolved together.

Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar targeted the Samajwadi Party, saying that attempts to secure votes from the Nishad community by distributing alcohol would no longer succeed. He spoke about the rights of the Nishad community in sand mining and contracts related to rivers and ponds, and called for strengthening the organisation.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya described the unity of the NDA as a “beautiful bouquet” and said that the Nishad community has a vital role in achieving the Prime Minister’s vision of a developed India by 2047. He claimed that nothing could stop the implementation of Majhwar reservation.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said that the NISHAD Party is a major force for the poor and the underprivileged, and predicted that the NDA would win more than 350 seats in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.