Gita, Hanuman Chalisa should be taught at private schools: Union Minister Giriraj Singh
Begusarai (Bihar), Jan 2: Union minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday stoked a fresh controversy alleging that children who study in missionary schools lack "sanskaar" and end up in practices like "beef-eating" when they go abroad.
Addressing a religious function at his Lok Sabha constituency here, the firebrand BJP leader also advocated, as an antidote, teaching of "shlokas" of Bhagvad Gita and the verses of Hanuman Chalisa at private schools.
"I would like to say to people present here, this practice should start from the private schools since at government-run ones, we run the risk of inviting accusations of imposing the bhagwa (saffron) agenda,'' Singh said.
At private schools, students should be taught shlokas of Bhagvad Gita and Hanuman Chalisa.
"I say this because it has been seen that at schools run by missionaries, children from well-off families excel academically, go on to have successful careers, but when they go abroad they eat beef. Why so? This is because we have not inculcated sanskaar into them", the Union minister said.
"We are often accused of being radicals. Our culture is that of generosity. We feed ants with sugar and serpents with milk. It is another thing that sometime the serpents end up intimidating us", the BJP leader known for his copious use of innuendoes, said.
Singh also addressed a press conference in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) where he equated protests against the contentious legislation with Pakistan-sponsored "Ghazwa-e-Hind" (holy war against India) and lambasted opposition parties like the Congress and West Bengal Chief Ministers TMC for their strident criticism of the new law.
He dared the Congress to come out and openly proclaim that it supports granting citizenship to all illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and the Rohingyas from Myanmar.
Singh said the partys stance was guided solely by vote bank politics.
He said this referring to the opposition partys contention that the CAA which proposes to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan discriminated against people on the basis of religion.
The Union minister also deplored the recent instance of "durvyavahar" (misbehavior) with Arif Mohammad Khan governor of Kerala, who was heckled by acclaimed Leftist historian Irfan Habib at a public function where Khan had sought to defend CAA.
"All these things are part of Pakistans Ghazwa-e-Hind, aimed at weakening India. CAA is just an excuse. It is an instance of kahin pe nigahen, kahin pe nishana", said the BJP leader, borrowing from the opening lines of an old Bollywood number that speaks about ones gaze and attention being in different directions.
He also came down heavily on Mamata Banerjee for her party attacking the BJP-led government at the Centre over rejection of West Bengal's tableau proposal for Republic Day parade allegedly for protesting the amended Citizenship Act.
"What does she mean when she says she does not accept CAA? It is a central law, binding upon all parts of the country,” the volatile leader, known for wearing his Hindutva hardline on his sleeves, fumed.
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Pak police registers case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on LeT co-founder
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Lahore (PTI): Pakistan's Punjab Police on Friday registered a case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder Amir Hamza, who suffered bullet injuries in the attack in Lahore.
On Thursday, two unidentified gunmen riding on a bike opened fire on the vehicle of the private TV channel 24NewsHD TV, owned by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, on Peco Road in Lahore near the TV channel's office.
In the attack, Hamza suffered bullet injuries.
"The FIR has been registered against unidentified gunmen, but it is sealed forthwith," a senior police officer told PTI.
He said the intelligence agencies have taken over this case from the police, and they are currently investigating the matter.
The channel's religious programme host Justice (retd.) Nazir Ahmed Ghazi and Hamza were in the vehicle when it was attacked. Hamza was shifted to a hospital for treatment.
Punjab police on Friday said that "upon receiving information about the incident, the SSP Operations immediately reached the scene and a high alert was imposed in the area. SSP Operations Tauqeer Naeem also met the affected individuals. Thankfully, all present in the vehicle remained safe during the firing."
It further said senior police officers of the Township and Chung, along with a heavy police contingent, were present at the scene.
"Police collected evidence from the site and initiated an investigation. Efforts to arrest the suspects are underway using CCTV footage and geo-fencing techniques. Search and sweep operations are being conducted at various locations, with scrutiny of suspicious individuals ongoing," police said.
It added that those involved in the incident will be traced and arrested soon.
The police sources said that Hamza has been shifted to his residence in Jauhar Town, Lahore, where police and agency personnel met him.
The leadership of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political front of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's banned Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD), including Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed, also called on him.
TV host retired Justice Ghazi, who remained unhurt in the attack, remained a legal counsel for Hafiz Saeed, they said.
The PMML has strongly condemned the attack on Hamza and demanded that those involved in the incident be arrested immediately.
Hamza is regarded as LeT's second most important leader after its chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019 after getting convicted for several years in terror financing cases.
Hamza has been designated as a terrorist by the US. In the past, he served as the head of LeT's "special campaigns" department.
In 2018, Hamza formed a fundraising group for the LeT following a ban on the JuD and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation by the Pakistani government.
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