Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi remarks on Lord Ram court controversy
Highlights
- Manjhi’s party-the Hindustan Awami Morcha (HAM) is one of constituents of NDA
- Manjhi is not new to such controversies
- He made remarks at birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday courted controversy over his remarks on Lord Ram. He questioned the existence of Lord Rama. Manjhi said, "He believes in Goswami Tulsidas and Valmiki, but does not believe in Ram. Ram was not a god. He was a poetic character of Goswami Tulsidas and Valmiki."
His remarks came while addressing a public meeting in Bihar's Jamui. "I want to say to the people. I don't believe in Ram. Ram wasn't a God. Tulsidas-Valmiki created this character to say what they had to," he said. "They created 'kavya' and 'mahakavya' with this character. It states a lot of good things and we revere that. I revere Tulsidas-Valmiki but not Ram," Manjhi said.
Manjhi’s party-the Hindustan Awami Morcha (HAM) is one of the constituents of the National Democratic Alliance. Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi made the remarks at the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Mata Sabri Mahotsav celebrations at Sikandra block area of Jamui district.
Manjhi, a Dalit who now heads his own outfit but has spent a major part of his political career under the wings of OBC stalwarts Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. The Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) president is not new to such controversies. He had, in past, made several such controversial remarks on Lord Ram and Brahmins. Earlier, he courted controversy saying that Brahmins visited houses of Mahadalits, but didn’t eat food there and instead ask for money.
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