Ramcharitmanas contains potassium cyanide': Bihar education minister Chandra Shekhar

Patna: Bihar Education minister Chandra Shekhar has stirred a fresh controversy by claiming that ancient scriptures like the Ramcharitmanas had elements pernicious enough to be likened to "potassium cyanide".

The RJD leader made remarks to the effect at a function late Thursday night, a video clip of which has gone viral on social media.

"It is not just my view but even great Hindi writer Nagarjuna and socialist thinker Ram Manohar Lohia have said that the Ramcharitmanas contains many regressive thoughts", asserted the minister, whose similar comments had led to a controversy earlier this year.

Chandra Shekhar admitted "there are many great things in scriptures" but added, "if at a feast 55 dishes are served with a sprinkling of potassium cyanide, the food is rendered unfit for consumption".

The RJD leader alleged that while his remarks about caste discrimination have evoked abuse and even threats of physical violence, nobody had any problems when similar concerns were expressed by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

He also underscored that caste census was a necessary step in the direction of forming an egalitarian society in which dignity was ensured for those involved in tasks like cleaning the gutters.

The senior RJD leader, however, ended up drawing flak from ally JD(U) and rival BJP even as his own party sought to distance itself from his remarks.

"The education minister has insulted the great Sanatana Dharma which includes within its fold progressive figures like Sant Ravidas and Swami Vivekananda. We want to know why Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is silent on the diatribe", said BJP media panelist Neeraj Kumar.

Abhishek Jha, state spokesman of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U), said "The Constitution entails that all faiths are to be accorded equal respect. Some people say things with no apparent purpose other than getting some limelight, which we disapprove of".

RJD spokesman Shakti Yadav also issued a statement saying "It is true that our party stands for social justice but it also stands for respecting all religions. Any utterances which can hurt religious sentiments must be strictly avoided".