Bihar minister Brij Kishore Bind stoked a controversy when he claimed that Lord Shiva belonged to the Bind caste. While speaking at an event held in Patna to welcome the Governor, the minister claimed that it is written in Shiva Purana. He also said that it has been mentioned in the ancient history book by Vidyadhar Mahajan which is being taught to postgraduate students. 

"Our history is very old. Do you know that Lord Shankar was from Bind caste?"

Read: In Latest Controversy, BJP Says Rahul Gandhi Referred To Lord Shiva As ‘it’

Reiterates claim

To substantiate his claim further, the minister said that the same thing is mentioned in the fourth paragraph of a Hindi book NCS History. The book written by Vidyadhar Mahajan was even taught to MA students, he said. 

"I have clearly stated that Lord Shankar belonged to the Bind caste. In order to substantiate my claims, I have cited that in Shiva Purana's para 4 of Chapter 36 in part 2, it is written that he was from Bind caste," Kishore said.

Brij Kishore had first made the claim at an event organized by Nonia-Bind-Beldar Mahasangh in Patna and said,

The state minister further asked, "If Lord Krishna could be a Gwala, Lord Ram could be a Kshatriya, why can't Lord Shiva be a Bind?"

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UP Chief Minister: Lord Hanuman was a Dalit

In a similar case, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had faced a lot of criticism in 2008 when he said that Lord Hanuman was a Dalit. CM Adityanath even said that the people casting their votes for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) were worshippers of Lord Ram and people casting their votes for Congress Party are Ravana worshippers. 

Read: BJP's Ishrat Jahan Targeted In West Bengal Over Distribution Of Hanuman Chalisa, Alleges Threat To Her Life

Read: U.P CM Yogi Adityanath Takes On Pak PM Imran Khan For His Attack On RSS; Says, "We Are A Land Of Humanity"

(With inputs from ANI)