LUCKNOW: Crude, sexist remarks are nothing unusual from politicians in Uttar Pradesh . However, UP tourism minister Om Prakash Singh plumbed new depths of coarseness and vulgarity on Thursday, describing former chief minister Mayawati as an ugly-faced marauder.

"Aap log toh bahut bahadur ho. Jab aap log Mayawati jaisi soorat ki aurat ko panch saal tak jhel sakte ho, toh thoda samay toh hum logon ko bhi de sakte ho (you people are very brave. When you can bear with a woman with the face of Mayawati for five years, surely you can give us some time, too)," said Singh.

Addressing a public meeting in his constituency of Ghazipur, Singh added, "Woh (Mayawati) bhrashtachari hai durachari hai.... Mohammed Ghori, Genghis Khan, Ahmed Shah Abdali aur Nadir Shah ne itna nahin loota hoga jitna Mayawati ne akele Uttar Pradesh ko loota (she is corrupt, badly-behaved and a marauder like Ghori, Genghis, Abdali and Nadir Shah)," the minister added.

Singh, who was late at the venue, was greeted by a restless audience waiting for hours. Agitated people raised slogans demanding the programme begin immediately. In order to pacify them, Om Prakash Singh took the mike and began mouthing what he thought might please the audience.

The BSP has not reacted but sources said the party will take up Singh’s abuse of Mayawati strongly and may even drag him to court. And although this is not the first time that a Samajwadi leader has said something shocking about a political rival, Singh’s comment on Mayawati might land him in trouble.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in the past has not taken kindly to sexist comments made by his ministers. Former minister for khadi and village industries Raja Ram Pandey had to resign in April for making a sexist comment at a film actress while promising a facelift for the city in Pratapgarh. Senior SP leaders said Singh, too, may be asked to go once Akhilesh, on a two-day visit to Karnataka, returns to Lucknow on Friday.

Singh was in news recently for another objectionable comment. When the media sought his reaction to the deteriorating law and order situation in UP, he said, "Qanoon vyavastha bilkul theek hai. Kharabi aapke dimaag mein hai" (law and order in UP is fine, the problem is in your head)," he said.