Lucknow: In a major embarrassment to the BJP and the Uttar Pradesh government, a video of chief minister Yogi Adityanath has surfaced where he is seen laughing along with other ministers during the last rites of former UP and Uttarakhand chief minister ND Tiwari.

ND Tiwari’s mortal remains were flown to Lucknow on Saturday morning and was then taken to UP Assembly as senior politicians turned up to pay last rites to the deceased leader.

The video clip that has gone viral shows CM Yogi Adityanath with Bihar Governor Lalji Tandon in the front row, while UP ministers Mohsin Raza and Ashutosh Tandon were sitting behind them.

Adityanath can be discussing something with Tandon, Raza and Tandon, after which all of them burst into laughs. They were sitting adjacent to the body of ND Tiwari.

After BJP Ministers In MP Laughing At Asthi Kalash Yatra Of Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee , CM Of UP Yogi Adityanath Goes One Step Ahead .. Jokes & Laughs With His Folks Next To The Body Of Former UP CM #NDTiwari Which Was Wrapped In Tricolour .. pic.twitter.com/8qIIulJKRr — Niraj Bhatia (@bhatia_niraj23) October 21, 2018

Condemning the act of the chief minister during the last rites, Congress spokesperson Zishan Haider said, “The BJP should understand that such events are not a mere photo opportunity. Whether it is last rites of Pandit Atal Bihari Vajpayee or former CM ND Tiwari, it is just an event for BJP. Their insensitivity can be understood by the fact that they laugh while sitting in front of a dead body.”

The Samajwadi Party also reacted strongly to it, saying that it was an insensitive act. “This is the real character of Bhartiya Janata Party. The body was in front of them and CM along with ministers bursts into laughter. This shows how insensitive they are and how far they are from humanity. Such people don’t have any value of life and death. For them it is only a matter of politics,” Samajwadi Party spokesperson Anurag Bhadauria said