Bihar Temple Washed After Kahnaiya Kumar's Visit, Congress Raises 'Untouchability' Stink

A controversy erupted on Thursday over the alleged cleansing of a temple in Bihar's Saharsa district following a visit by Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar, with the Congress questioning whether supporters of non-BJP parties "would be treated as untouchables" and the BJP asserting that the incident reflected a "rejection" of Kumar's political stance.

The episode occurred at the Goddess Durga temple in Bangaon village, which Kumar visited as part of his ongoing "Palayan Roko, Naukri Do" (Stop Migration, Provide Jobs) yatra. Kumar had addressed a gathering from the temple grounds.

Photo Credit: PTI/IANS

A video that has since gone viral appears to show some individuals washing the temple shortly after Kanhaiya Kumar departed from the village, reported The Indian Express.

While Kumar himself has not commented on the issue, Congress spokesperson Gyan Ranjan Gupta told IE: "We want to know if only RSS and BJP supporters are pious people and the rest are untouchables. The act has disrespected the descendants of Lord Parshuram. Have we entered a new phase of ultra-Sanskritisation in which non-BJP parties and supporters will be treated as untouchables?"

In contrast, BJP spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari remarked: "In the first place, we should first verify the identity of those who washed the temple after Kanhaiya Kumar's visit. And if a temple is washed after the Congress leader's visit, it shows the kind of rejection towards Kanhaiya Kumar's brand of politics."

A resident of Bangaon village noted that the temple typically welcomes people from all caste groups and backgrounds.

"It (washing of the temple after Kumar's visit) could be the work of some miscreants," the elderly local suggested. Kanhaiya Kumar hails from the upper-caste Bhumihar community.

The initial phase of Kumar's yatra, which began on March 16 in West Champaran, is set to wrap up on March 31 in Kishanganj.