During a speech at a university convocation, RJD leader Chandrashekhar, a third-term MLA from Madhepura, said that “Ramcharitmanas”, an epic poem composed by 16th century poet Tulsidas, propagates social discrimination.
Facing flak for his controversial remark on epic “Ramcharitmanas”, defiant Bihar’s education minister Chandrashekhar on Thursday raked up the issue of purification rituals held at the Uttar Pradesh chief minister’s bungalow in 2017 as he doubled down on his earlier statement. Chandrashekar said that those who “cleaned the (CM) house with ganga jal” have been discriminating people on the basis of caste for decades by “bringing wrong shloka-chaupai”.
During a speech at a university convocation, RJD leader Chandrashekhar, a third-term MLA from Madhepura, said that “Ramcharitmanas”, an epic poem composed by 16th century poet Tulsidas, propagates social discrimination. To back his claim, the minister cited a couplet from Ramacharitmanas — ‘adham jati me vidya paye, bhayatu yatha dudh pilaye’, which, translated in English, means, “Lower caste people become poisonous after getting education, like snake becomes after consuming milk”.
BJP latched on the issue and sought Chadrashekhar’s removal from the cabinet. Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Singh demanded that a case be registered against the minister for his utterances and that deputy CM Tejaswhi Prasad Yadav clear his stand on it.
Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council, Samrat Choudharyof the BJP, said that the minister needed to “ be treated for mental imbalance”. “What he has done is a disgrace for the entire state. Ram has been the binding force in the society. How can one can call him divisive? This is unfortunate,” he said.
Chandrashekhar refused to apologise even as he faced ire from several quarters while chief minister Nitish Kumar pleaded ignorance on the matter.
When approached by reporters on Thursday for a response to the widespread criticism of his remarks, he said, “I don’t need to apologise, as what I have said is there for anyone to read. The BJP is not aware of the facts and is unnecessarily making a hue and cry over it.”
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