BJP expels Gajendra Jha for announcing bounty for cutting Jitan Ram Manjhi's tongue

Bihar BJP on Tuesday expelled Gajendra Jha from the party for using unparliamentary language against former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi. This is after, in a shocking statement, BJP Bihar leader Gajendra Jha had announced a bounty of Rs 11 Lakh for anyone from the ‘Brahmin’ community who can cut the tongue of HAMS leader Jitan Ram Manjhi and bring it before him.  x The contentious remark came after the former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi evoked controversy after using an expletive while speaking about Dalits and Pandits. 

BJP leader expelled for announcing bounty for cutting Jitan Ram Manjhi's tongue

As per ANI, Bihar BJP leader said, “I would like to make an announcement. If any Brahmin chops off the tongue of HAMS leader Jitan Ram Manjhi and bring it before me, then I will reward him with Rs 11 Lakhs. Jitan Ram Manjhi, however, is not worth even 11 paise.”

Earlier on Dec 19, HAMS clarified that the cuss word which he used in his statement was directed at the people of his community (Dalits) and not Brahmins and Pandits. Manjhi also apologised for hurting the sentiments of the people. “I used that word for our community, not for Pandits. If a misunderstanding has happened, then I apologize for that,” Jitan Ram Manjhi said to ANI.

Jitan Ram Manjhi stirs controversy after using an expletive for a community

The controversy erupted on Saturday, Dec 18, when Manjhi, while addressing a public event in Patna asserted that he doesn’t believe that Ram was a Hindu God, and he thinks that he was imaginary.

“I do not believe in Ram. He was not a person. He is imaginary. People worship idols and Gods, so he is (a part of) faith. The Ramayana was written. It has many lines that are to be read and understood. We also discuss it at times. However, I am not ready to accept Ram as God,” Manjhi said at a public meeting on Saturday in Patna.

"Underprivileged people are increasingly becoming more oriented towards religion these days," Manjhi said, while adding that  Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar had forsaken Hinduism and died as a Buddhist in 1956. 

“We had never heard of Satyanarayan Puja before, but such pujas are now being held in all of our towns," he added. Using the cuss word, he also spoke on the issue of priests not eating in Dalit homes but quipped that they take money from Dalits

Such words promote bitterness in the state, which is otherwise peaceful, said Neeraj Kumar, a spokesperson for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU, adding that “there is religious harmony in Bihar and people should stop doing this.”