Govt orders inquiry into Sheohar DM’s ‘castist’ speech
Patna,(BiharTimes): The state government has initiated an inquiry into the speech of district magistrate of Sheohar Raj Kumar, in which he reportedly urged the people of his community to vote only for the candidates belonging to their own caste.
Though the district magistrate on Wednesday, while talking to the Times of India, said that his speech was misrepresented by the media, a video-clipping shows him addressing people of a particular Extremely Backward Caste at Ganinath Temple in Sitamarhi district on Monday, urging them to vote only for their caste candidates even in case of enmity with them.
“I had urged the people of my community to increase their representation in the assembly in personal capacity, and not as the DM of any district. I was present at the programme with my father Kumar Ranjit Prasad as a member of the community, and not as a DM,” Raj Kumar was quoted in the Times of India.
He said the programme was the one-day yearly function for worshipping their Kul Devta Lord Ganinath Govind. He said he had gone to the temple in the neighbouring Sitamarihi
as there was no temple of their community in Sheohar district.
“While addressing the people, I also urged them to spend the money saved––after enforcement of prohibition law in the state––on education of their children,” the 2010 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre said.
“My intentions were not mala fide, but the video of my speech has been
misinterpreted by a few people, leading to a controversy,” he said, adding that he had also urged the people of his community to raise funds for education of their children rather than spending the money on building a temple for the community. The officer is a native of Revelganj area in Saran district.
