Patna: The opposition leaders knew that polarisation of votes on the basis of communal agendas would help the BJP, its leaders playing on the turf of saffron brigade.Bihar education minister Chandrashekhar Yadav is one of them who frequently makes statements on communal lines. In January, he had claimed that the Hindu epics Ramchartimanas, Manu Smriti, as well as the book ‘Bunch of Thought’ spread hatred in the society.
On September 7, he made yet another controversial statement in Nalanda claiming that Prophet Muhammad was a ‘Maryada Purosottam’ and that God had sent him to earth to finish evil.
These two statements have given ample opportunities to the BJP to play on its own turf and exploit the Hindu extremism to polarise voters.
All these things are happening in the run-up to the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Political experts of Bihar believe that they are giving issues on which the BJP is very good at polarizing voters.
Sources have also claimed that these two statements were deliberately given to make personal benefits.
When Chandrashekher Yadav had made the remark against the Ramcharitmanas, the RJD did not take action against him.
The statement was endorsed by RJD state president Jagadanand Singh at the time.
Jagadanand Singh claimed on Wednesday that the country became slave due to people who put ‘Tika’ on their foreheads. He further said that these people are making efforts again to make the country slavery again.
“Religion is a thing of faith and if it would be implemented as a principle, the crores of people living in India went the opposite way. Ask them (BJP-RSS) who made India a slave. Those who put Tika on the forehead had made India a slave. They are making efforts again to make India a slavery country,” Singh said while addressing a gathering of party workers in his office in Patna.
Following his statement, BJP leaders like Vijay Kumar Sinha, the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly said: “Despite RJD (Tej Pratap Yadav) humiliating Jagadanand Singh, he stuck with the party. At least he should learn from his son Sudhakar Singh. Whatever he is saying against the Sanatan Dharma is due to the party he is staying in. His son has not compromised with his self respect and left the Ministry,
“They are doing the polities’ appeasement and galvanizing the voters of a particular community. The people of the state are watching him and RJD and teaching them a lesson in the election.”
“Leaders like Prof Chandrashekher and Jagadanand Singh do not believe in Lord Krishna or Lord Rama. Hence, we do not expect much from him. Jagadanand Singh is objecting to the Ram temple of Ayodhya and supporting the statement of Udhayanidhi Stalin. He is making statements against Hindu and Sanatan Dharma. Anyone can imagine his mindset. These statements he is making only to please his bosses of the party,” said Nikhil Anand, the national general secretary of BJP OBC Morcha.
Jan Adhikar Party chief Rajesh Ranjan also criticized the statement of Jagadanand Singh.
“I strongly object to any such things that hurt a community. If anyone has no knowledge about the issue, they should avoid talking about it. Whatever statements related to religion were made are not appropriate. There are many countries in the world which do not believe in any religion. They are entirely neutral on this issue. Singapore is a country with a Buddhist majority and Muslims are just 15% but look at the development chart, it is far more developed than India. Here in our country, 80 per cent are Hindu and 15 per cent are Muslim and the way political parties do politics over religion, India is just a developing country and well below in the development chart,” Pappu Yadav said.
“Leaders of big parties or small parties have no right to spread communalism in the society,” he said.
—IANS