Manjhi stokes another controversy, says upper caste people are foreigners

Patna, Nov 13: Days after stoking controversy over his statement that doctors hands will be chopped off if they will neglect poor patients, Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has done it again.

Addressing a function in Valmikinagar of West Champaran district, Manjhi termed upper caste people as "foreigners and descendants of Aryan race".

Manjhi said, "The upper castes are Aryans and have come from abroad. The tribals are the real inhabitants of this place."

"Only tribals and dalits are indigenous people," the Chief Minister claimed and asked them to educate themselves and imbibe political awareness to ensure that downtrodden sections could play a pivotal role in formation of governments in Bihar.

This after senior JDU leader and former Bihar Chief Minister advised him against making controversial statements.

Meanwhile, the BJP has slammed him for "stoking caste tension" in the State. BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said Manjhi's gaffe was not the first instance when he had tried "to divide the people on social grounds" as he had earlier alleged of being discriminated at a shrine in Madhubani district which, the chief minister had said, was washed and purified soon after he had paid obeisance there.

Recently, addressing a public meeting in Bihar's East Champaran district, Manjhi had said that if the doctors will neglect poor patients, their hands will be chopped off.

"If the doctor is not available, medicine is not available or there is no arrangement of test, than make a complaint to the District Magistrate," Manjhi had said.

The controversial Chief Minister had also said that marriage age for both boy and girl should be raised to 25. And the reason he had put up that it will be helpful in solving bad health and malnutrition among women folk.

OneIndia News

(With agency inputs)