A Bihar minister has claimed that Lord Shiva, also known as Mahadev (the greatest among gods), belonged to the socially and educationally backward Bind caste.
The minister, Brij Kishor Bind left people bemused when he made a statement to the effect on Tuesday at a function organised here to felicitate the newly-appointed Governor Phagu Chauhan, which was attended by senior BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.
On Wednesday, when journalists approached the minister with queries about his statement which was starkly reminiscent of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “Hanuman is a Dalit” gaffe, the Bihar minister dug in his heels.
The function was organized by Noniya, Bind, Beldar Mahasangh. “I quoted from the Shiva Purana to underscore my point that Lord Shiva was, indeed, a Bind. This point is corroborated in a book written by historian Vidyadhar Mahajan whose works are prescribed in post-graduate courses,” Bind said.
“I wonder why people are having a problem with Lord Shiva being called a Bind when Lord Rama is seen as a Kshatriya and Lord Krishna a gwala (a term used in the state to denote the Yadav caste),” the senior BJP leader added.