RANCHI: A political storm has erupted over a recent statement made by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, with the BJP accusing him of hurting religious sentiments.
State BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP Aditya Sahu reacted strongly, alleging that Soren insulted Hindu deities and festivals.
The controversy stems from Soren’s speech on the final day of the Budget Session in the Jharkhand Assembly on Wednesday, where he questioned the outcomes despite widespread observance of religious rituals. He remarked that while Indians perform Saraswati Puja, truly talented individuals are found abroad. He added that despite Lakshmi Puja, prosperity appears to reside overseas, suggesting “something is definitely amiss”.
“Here, people say, ‘perform this puja’, ‘perform that puja’, but there is very little discussion regarding education. Given this situation, it is difficult to understand how we are supposed to become a ‘Vishwa Guru’,” Soren said in the Assembly.
Sahu accused Soren of following in the footsteps of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that his remarks on festivals like Saraswati Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Vishwakarma Puja and Ram Navami were insensitive and insulting to Hindu beliefs.
“Driven by a lust for power and appeasement politics, the Congress has crossed all limits. It is unfortunate that Soren is now following Rahul Gandhi,” Sahu said, adding that those in power must respect all religions.
According to Sahu, Soren himself participates in religious rituals with his family, but vote-bank politics has led to a “dual character”. He challenged the Chief Minister to make similar remarks about other religions and demanded an apology to the Hindu community, warning of public backlash otherwise.
Former Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri also termed the remarks “shameful”, saying they could send a wrong message to society.
The JMM, however, hit back at the BJP, accusing it of politicising religion. Party spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said the BJP raises the issue of Hinduism to sustain itself politically, dismissing the controversy as manufactured.