A phone conversation between BJP councillor Vishwajit Tripathi and Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan, held during heavy rain and waterlogging in the city, has triggered a political controversy after a video of the exchange surfaced on social media.
The conversation centred on waterlogging in several parts of Gorakhpur, with Tripathi seeking Kishan’s intervention over alleged problems with floodwater regulators at Tarkulahi and near Palm Paradise.
What happened during the call?
In the video, Tripathi can be heard asking Kishan about his location while highlighting waterlogging in different parts of the city. Kishan replies that he was in Taramandal and asks the councillor where he was.
Tripathi then raises concerns about the floodwater regulators at Tarkulahi and near Palm Paradise, alleging that they were not functioning properly. He asks the MP to intervene in the matter.
Kishan says he would look into the issue and adds that he was already in the area and monitoring the situation.
The conversation also takes a lighter turn when Kishan refers to Tripathi as “Brahman Devta” and asks “Samajwadi Party join karliya hai kya?”. Tripathi responds by asking Kishan whether he had joined the BSP.
The video later became the subject of political discussion after being circulated on social media.
Councillor explains why he called Kishan
Tripathi said he did not know who had recorded or circulated the conversation.
He said he had called Kishan while sitting with local residents during the heavy rainfall, as irrigation department officials were not accessible to municipal representatives and were not responding to their concerns.
Kishan, meanwhile, said he was personally on the streets monitoring the situation and coordinating with the administration.
Describing the rainfall as unprecedented, the MP said Gorakhpur had not experienced such heavy rain in nearly two decades and that several parts of Uttar Pradesh had received exceptionally high rainfall.
He said the immediate priority was to address people’s grievances and restore normalcy. He also said such situations should not be politicised and that efforts should instead focus on resolving the problems.
SP, BJP react to controversy
The Samajwadi Party also reacted to the exchange. Its district president Brijesh Gautam said the party’s doors were open to people dissatisfied with BJP policies and seeking to oppose the ruling party.
Referring to Tripathi, Gautam said the councillor had earlier been elected on an SP ticket before joining the BJP.
BJP regional general secretary Satendra Sinha said any action in the matter would be decided by the party’s disciplinary committee. In his personal view, however, he said the issue should have been raised on the party forum instead of being taken to social media.
BJP says teams worked overnight
Sinha described the heavy rainfall as a natural calamity and said BJP workers and government agencies had worked through the night to manage the situation.
He said water was pumped out of affected localities overnight and that most areas were free of waterlogging by Sunday morning after the rain subsided.
(With inputs from PTI)
