Bihar Information and Technology Minister Mohd. Israil Mansuri’s visit to the famous the Vishnupad temple in Gaya, along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on August 22, has sparked a row, with State BJP leaders on Tuesday demanding a “public apology” from Mr. Kumar. Entry of non-Hindus is “prohibited” at the temple. However, Mr. Mansuri said he had felt “honoured” to enter the temple.
“We demand a public apology from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for taking Mohd. Israil Mansuri into the Vishnupad temple where entry of non-Hindus is prohibited. Can he [Mr. Kumar] think of setting his foot inside Mecca? If the Chief Minister refuses to apologise, he should be ready for protests from BJP workers everywhere, including the State Assembly,” said State BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal.
“When it is written on the wall of the temple that the entry of non-Hindus is prohibited, how could the Chief Minister take his Minister from other religious community there? It has hurt the sentiments of Hindus,” BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur said.
The Vishnupad temple management committee, however, said it would take a decision on how to react after meeting. “Though the entry of non-Hindus is banned in the temple, I’m not sure how to react to the situation,” Gajadhar Lal Pathak, secretary of the committee, said.
The committee’s chairman, Shambhulal Vitthal, told media persons that it was the CM’s responsibility to have informed the temple administration about the Minister with him from a different religious community. “Mr. Mansuri has become Minister for the first time so no one recognised him when he entered into the sanctum sanctorum of the temple,” Mr. Vitthal said.
“For the first time, a non-Hindu entered the temple,” the temple administration said.
During his Gaya visit on August 22, Mr. Kumar visited the Vishnupad temple along Mr. Mansuri, who was recently made in-charge of the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) for Gaya district. A video of Mr. Kumar and Mr. Mansuri inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple has gone viral on social media.
“It was just a coincidence that I got the opportunity to enter into the Vishnupad temple along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar but I’m honoured to have gone inside the temple,” Mr. Mansuri told media persons.
JD(U) leaders did not comment on the subject.
