Bihar Chief Minister claims temple was ‘purified’ after his visit

Cabinet colleague, party leaders contradict Manjhi

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. File photo

Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has, in a controversial statement, alleged that a temple in Madhubani district was cleaned and the deity washed after he left its premises. This was immediately contradicted by his Cabinet colleague, whom the Chief Minister had quoted, and other party leaders.

The Chief Minister’s remarks came during his address at a function organised in memory of the State’s first Dalit Chief Minister Bhola Paswan Shastri on Sunday. “During the by-poll in August, when I visited a temple in Madhubani district. My cabinet colleague Ramlakshan Ram Raman told me that the temple was cleaned and the deity washed after I left the place.”

Mr. Raman, Mines and Geology Minister, who too was present on the dais, immediately said he had not given any such information to Mr Manjhi at any point of time.

“I was not even present with the CM when he went to that temple. Neither have I given him any such information,” Mr Raman told The Hindu . “I do not have anything to say on this.”

Vinod Kumar Singh, Mr. Manjhi’s party colleague and MLC from Jhanjharpur in Madhubani where the Parmeshwari Devi temple is located, also disputed the Chief Minister’s statement.

“Nothing of the kind happened. I was present with the Chief Minister in the temple and stayed in my constituency for the next two days. There was absolutely no question of the temple being cleaned and the idol washed,” he said.

The temple’s priest, Ashok Kumar Jha, said the statement appeared to be politically motivated. “One cannot wash the deity, as she is made of mud,” he said.

Union Minister and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan said that “since untouchability was a crime, the Bihar Chief Minister should have immediately called the police.

Dalit Chief Minister

Mr. Manjhi did not stop with this. “The next Chief Minister of Bihar will be from the Dalit community,” he said. “Nobody can stop this.”

His party’s leaders were quick to distance themselves from this statement as well.

“Our party has already declared that Nitish Kumar will be the chief ministerial candidate in the next Assembly poll. There is no question of anyone else claiming the post,” said JD(U) spokesperson Ajay Alok.