Wrong to divide Gods into castes: UP minister

Taking strong objection to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's "Lord Hanuman is Dalit" remark, state minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said it was wrong to divide Gods into castes.

Addressing a public meeting in Shamli district on Sunday, the backward classes welfare minister criticised his own government for starting a controversy with such statements.

It is wrong to divide Gods into castes and due to this controversy, Dalit community is demanding to takeover Hanuman temples, he said.

While addressing a rally in Rajasthan's Alwar district last week, Adityanath had said, "Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. 'Bajrang Bali' worked to unite all Indian communities, from north to south and east to west".

Reacting to the remarks, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar had Sunday said members of the community should take over all Hanuman temples in the country and appoint Dalits as priests there.

Rajbhar also hit out at the state government for not providing 27 percent reservation to the Kashyap community.