BJP Fumes as Ex-Bihar State Chief Says He Doesn't Think Lord Ram Was God

Ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, it has shared an acrimonious relationship with its allies. It has lost key partners like the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and bickering with its existing alliance partners has increased manifold of late.

Former Bihar State Chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has stoked a massive controversy with his recent comments, claiming that Lord Ram was "not a God" and was just a mythical character in Hindu epic Ramayana.

"I don't think Lord Ram was a god. But he was a character of Valmiki's Ramayana and Ramacharitmanas penned by Goswami Tulsidas," Manjhi said during a public function in the Jamui district of the state.

Alliance partner BJP, whose leaders never shy away from highlighting their Hindu credentials, was left fuming over Manjhi's comments. The BJP even questioned Manjhi's faith before asking him if he was an atheist.

State BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand went as far as to ask "which god he believes in".

Manjhi is the leader of the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), a regional party in the northern state of Bihar. In the state, the BJP is in alliance with current state chief Nitish Kumar's party, the Janata Dal-United or JD(U) and Manjhi-led HAM.

But it isn't the first time Manjhi has ruffled feathers with his statements. A couple of months ago, he faced a massive backlash after he had used expletives against Brahmins, the upper caste in India. Manji belongs to the community of Musahar Dalits, one of the most marginalised castes in the country.

As the controversy escalated with a Brahmin leader announcing a reward for chopping off his tongue, Manjhi tried to make amends by organising a huge feast for the community at his residence in state capital Patna.

Hindus in India are divided into four main categories - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras.

The Brahmins who represent the knowledgeable section of the society, including priests, teachers, intellectuals are top of the ladder followed by Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Shudras in that order.