Bihar Education Minister sparks controversy with remarks on Hindu religious books

Patna: Professor Chandrashekher, the Education Minister of Bihar, has once again found himself at the centre of a heated debate with his recent statement regarding Hindu religious books.

During an event held at a college in Madhubani, he criticised revered works such as 'Ramcharitmanas,' 'Manusmriti,' and the book 'Bunch of Thoughts.'

The minister stated, "There are many objectionable contents in Hindu religious books which I believe should be done away with. Whenever I point out those waste contents, people criticize me but when people like Mohan Bhagwat who is Brahmin by caste say anything against holy books, it gets ignored."

He went on to explain, "While these religious texts contain positive aspects, it is akin to being served 56 different types of sweets (56 Bhog) followed by an offensive word. Similarly, these religious books possess valuable teachings, but they also contain certain passages that are dangerous and derogatory to society."

The minister emphasized the significance of education in empowering the country, stating, “Education is the only tool to make our country powerful. Baba Saheb (Bhim Rao Ambedkar) has likened education to the milk of lioness, those who drink it would become powerful”.

Addressing the issue of the domicile policy concerning the recruitment of teachers, the minister assured that it would not negatively impact the students of Bihar. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to create confusion regarding this matter.

This is not the first time the Education Minister has courted controversy. A similar incident occurred in January, earlier this year.

With inputs from agencies