Missionary school students consume beef abroad: Giriraj Singh

Patna: Union minister Giriraj Singh has stoked a fresh controversy by saying that most missionary school students eat beef in foreign countries because they are not being taught about Indian culture and traditions.

He also said that shlokas of the Bhagavad Gita should be made compulsory in schools to teach students about the country’s traditional values.

“We have to save our culture and traditional values and for that the Gita should be taught in schools. We hear about missionary school students qualifying in IIT exams and becoming engineers. But they start eating beef once they get a job in foreign countries,” Mr Singh said.

“Democracy in this country is only due to the Sanatan Dharma, which I follow strictly. I talk about teaching the Bhagavad Gita and Hanuman Chalisa to children in schools only to save our culture and traditions. I have no hidden agenda but people often misunderstand me and think that I’m a fundamentalist”. He added.

He made these statements while addressing at an event in his Lok Sabha constituency, Begusarai.  

His statement is likely to snowball into a controversy in a state like Bihar where the BJP’s alliance partners JD(U) and LJP have been uncomfortable with issues such as these.

JD(U) leaders said that their party believes in building infrastructure and doing work for the people but “Mr Singh keeps making such statements to remain in the headlines”.

The Opposition HAM and RJD also criticized him for his controversial statement.