The father of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Nand Kumar Baghel, was arrested for his remarks on Brahmins, calling for their 'boycott' and describing them as foreigners. An FIR was lodged against the 86-year-old in Raipur, on Friday, September 3, on the complaint of the Sarv Brahmin Samaj. The complaint mentioned that Kumar was promoting enmity between the groups.
He has been sent to 15-day judicial custody. The advocate representing Kumar said that he did not request bail and would appear before a court on September 21, NDTV reported.
"Law Equal For All": CM
Responding to the matter, the CM said that his father would not be given exceptional treatment, stressing that the law is equal for all.
The minister took to Twitter, saying that he holds responsibility as the state's representative to maintain harmony among different communities. He said the state government respects every religion and caste and the sentiments attached to them.
The minister mentioned that his ideological and political views differ from his father's. He said while he has respect for his father as a son, he cannot forgive him for disturbing the public order as the Chief Minister.
The remarks were made during Nand Kumar's recent visit to Uttar Pradesh, where he called for a 'boycott' of Brahmins and urged people not to let them into their villages.
"Brahmins will be sent from the river Ganga to the Volga. They are foreigners. They consider us untouchables and are snatching all our rights. I will urge villagers not to let Brahmins enter their village," the media quoted Kumar's statement.
Anti-Caste Stance
A native of the Kurud-di village in the Durg district of Chhattisgarh, Kumar has voiced concerns about casteism in the Hindu community several times.
He has advocated the rights of the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class communities. His anti-caste views were well known, so much so that his book on a similar theme was banned in 2000 by the Congress government. He embraced Buddhism in the late 1970s and since then his stance against casteism and Hindutava became harsher.
Reportedly, the father and the son have not been living together for over 20 years and have not shared the same public space all these years.
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