The meeting was held at the residence of BJP MLA PN Pathak on Tuesday evening.
As the meeting of Brahmin legislators sparked off discussion and speculation of tension and internal bickering within the ruling party, the participating MLAs clarified that it was a community interaction meant for community upliftment and giving it any kind of political colour was inappropriate and unfair.
BJP MLC Umesh Dwivedi, giving out details of the high-profile meeting, said that 46 Brahmin MLAs met to discuss the community's upliftment and its participation in development.
Exuding confidence in the state government, he said that the Brahmin community has been the custodian of India's cultural heritage and ethos, and in today's era, it has become important to contain the society from disintegration.
BJP MLA Ratnakar Mishra, who also participated in the meeting, told IANS, "Three generations used to live under one roof. Today, it has become difficult for even one generation to live together. Our community is fragmenting and moving toward Western civilisation, which is a matter of grave concern."
"We sat together to deliberate and discuss how to keep our values and traditions intact while keeping pace with development," he added.
He also rejected reports of any political discussion at the meeting.
Pathak, who hosted the legislators at his residence, called it an informal meet for sharing lighter moments and traditional food. He added that the next meeting will see legislators from all castes gathering for a meal.
"The day before yesterday, we were sitting in Assembly and discussing that we should enjoy some Litti-Chokha in the winter season. Only Brahmin and Bhumihar MLAs were present this time; however, next time, MLAs from all castes will be there, and we will sit together and have discussions about family and life," he added.
The buzz over Brahmin MLAs meeting made headlines, as this came ahead of the Winter Session of the UP Assembly, prompting the Opposition to claim that it was not a routine event and there was something more to it.
Notably, there are a total of 52 MLAs belonging to the Brahmin community in the UP Assembly. Out of this, 46 belong to the BJP alone.
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