Complaint filed in Bihar court against Muslim minister for visiting temple

Digital Desk: A social activist filed a complaint petition in Muzaffarpur chief judicial magistrate court on Wednesday against Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, IT minister Mohammed Israil Mansuri, and four others about their Monday (August 22) visit to the Gaya Vishnupad temple.

According to the complainant, Chandrakishore Parashar, Mansuri's entry into the temple "hurt the religious sentiments" of Hindus.

"I watched the news on TV channels (of Mansuri entering the temple). I filed the case against CM Kumar, IT minister Mansuri and others under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class.), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 504 (insult intended to provoke breach of the peace)," Chandrakishore Parashar said. 

The chief judicial magistrate court has accepted our case, and proper procedure will be followed, said the complainant's attorney, RK Singh. On September 2, the court is scheduled to hear the case.

Following the ministers' visit to the temple, the BJP reacted strongly, claiming that the temple had placed a notice prohibiting non-Hindus from entering, and the party requested an apology from CM Nitish Kumar.

RJD MLA Mansuri, 46, was elected from Kanti (Muzaffarpur), an Assembly district with a majority of Hindus and fewer than 20,000 Muslims, and makes it a point of attending religious events in his community, including Satyanarayan kathas and jagrans by Hindus.

Mansuri claimed to have been "honoured" to visit the historic Vishnupad temple in Gaya upon first learning of the objections, which included the claim that non-Hindus were not supposed to be allowed in. He was accompanying Nitish Kumar, who was in Gaya to evaluate preparations for the upcoming 'Pitrapaksha Mela,' or ancestor commemoration.