Kota (Rajasthan) | Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday landed in trouble after he put up a casteist remark on Twitter, calling Brahmins a “higher caste”.
The Speaker who was attending a Brahmin body meet said that Brahmins have always held a high position in society.
Om Birla wrote on Twitter, “Brahmins have always held a high position in society. This position is the result of their sacrifice, penance. This is the reason why Brahmin society has always played a guiding role in society.”
समाज में ब्राह्मणों का हमेशा से उच्च स्थान रहा है। यह स्थान उनकी त्याग, तपस्या का परिणाम है। यही वजह है कि ब्राह्मण समाज हमेशा से मार्गदर्शक की भूमिका में रहा है। pic.twitter.com/ZKcMYhhBt8
— Om Birla (@ombirlakota) September 8, 2019
Gujarat MLA and Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani asked Om Birla to publicly apologise for his support to the caste system.
“This celebration of the Indian caste system is not only condemnable but also cringe-worthy! It’s a joke on us that a casteist like him is our Loksabha speaker. He should publicly apologise for this attitude,” Jignesh Mevani wrote on Twitter.
People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), condemning Om Birla’s remarks, has also said it will be taking up the matter with President Ram Nath Kovind.
“We strongly condemn [Om Birla’s] statement. It is against Article 14 of the Constitution to establish the domination of any community, to declare any community as superior to other communities. This, in a way, gives a sense of inferiority to other communities. Encourages casteism,” said a statement issued by PUCL Rajasthan.
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