One should respect all religions: Nitish Kumar
The Hindu
Bihar Chief Minister says he has asked Education Minister Chandrashekhar to retract his statement
Breaking his silence over controversial remarks by State Education Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA Chandrashekhar, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said “there should not be any interference with any religion and one should respect all religions”.
Mr. Chandrashekhar triggered outrage after he recently said that Ramcharitmanas and Manusmiriti “spread hatred and social discrimination in society”.
“There should not be any interference with any religion and one should not demean any religion. All people of all religions should be given the freedom to practice religion of their choice. I have even asked him [Mr. Chandrashekhar] to take back his statement. Yesterday [January 16], Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav also spoke about this. Now I will request you from the media to stop taking notice of such things,” Mr. Kumar told reporters in Arwal ahead of the second leg of the Samadhan Yatra (solution journey).
Addressing students at the 15th convocation ceremony of Nalanda Open University in Patna on January 11, Mr. Chandrasekhar said, “In Ramcharitmanas, people of lower castes have no right to education. It is pointed out in the epic that lower caste people, after getting education become poisonous, similar to snakes, which become poisonous after drinking milk. They are pronounced with the word Adam Jaat (lower castes).”
He added that Ramcharitmanas and Manusmiriti “spread hatred in society” and against “Dalits, Other Backward Class and women receiving education”.
The Opposition Bhartiya Janata Party as well as the ruling Janata Dal (U) condemned Mr. Chandrashekhar’s remark.
“The way Bihar’s Education Minister has given his statement in public domain, he is liable to face action under Section 295(A) of Indian Penal Code. Chief minister Nitish Kumar should take action against him and direct the police to lodge an FIR. The Education minister should be immediately sacked from the Cabinet,” Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha said.
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