Union minister and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Union minister and former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday extended support to 'Hindu Swabhiman Yatra' launched by his ministerial colleague Giriraj Singh.
The yatra has drawn criticism from opposition parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD(U), a key BJP ally, has also expressed concerns about potential communal tensions during the yatra which will cover several districts in Bihar in the coming days.
Singh on Friday kicked off the yatra from Bhagalpur district, about 150 km from his Begusarai constituency.
Asked about Singh's yatra, Manjhi, another prominent face from Bihar in the Central government, said, "Ours is a secular nation... There are no curbs on anyone converting to promoting a particular religion. In such a scenario if he (Giriraj) is going out to propagate a particular religion, where is the harm in that? Why is it being viewed from a political lens?"
"Definitely, I would say that if he (Giriraj) is trying to unify his society, he is doing the right thing," Majhi told reporters here when asked whether he supports Singh's yatra.
Manjhi, the union minister for MSME, is the founder of Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular).
Earlier, Manjhi inaugurated the special Khadi exhibition at the Delhi Haat.
The exhibition is being held during the festive season as part of the nationwide 'Khadi Mahotsav' to promote Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Vocal for Local' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaigns and to enhance the income of Khadi artisans. It will run until October 31.
Meanwhile, Union minister Singh claimed that the communal violence in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh highlights the "threat" faced by Hindus, who, despite being the majority, need to be more "organised".