<p>Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Thursday lashed out at "dharam ke thekedaar" – self-appointed guardians of faith – whom he squarely blamed for Dalits being deprived of a life of dignity.</p>.<p>Manjhi, whose Hindustani Awam Morcha is a part of the ruling alliance in the state, expressed anguish on Twitter, sharing a heart-wrenching news report of a Dalit couple in Karnataka being penalised after their two years old child inadvertently stepped into a temple.</p>.<p>Incidentally, Karnataka is ruled by the BJP which is also the largest partner in the ruling coalition in Bihar.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/dalit-family-asked-to-pay-rs-25000-after-2-year-old-enters-koppal-temple-5-held-1033046.html" target="_blank">Dalit family asked to pay Rs 25,000 after 2-year-old enters Koppal temple, 5 held</a></strong></p>.<p>"I am giving voice to the pain that has been experienced for centuries. So far, I have been shy of expressing the anguish. Now nobody will say a word. The 'dharam ke thekedaar' go silent on such matters... they cannot brook Dalits entering the temples or offering their views on religious works ('dharmik kavya')," he tweeted.</p>.<p>His outrage came close on the heels of a barrage of insults from the BJP after he made a statement, suggesting that Lord Rama was a fictional, and not historical, figure.</p>.<p>He made the comment recently, reacting to demands by some BJP leaders here that Ramayana be included in the school syllabus, following a similar move by the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh.</p>.<p>Manjhi had said that he was very much in favour of the epic being taught in schools though he was of the view that "Lord Rama was not a man who lived on this earth at any point of time".</p>.<p>In response, several BJP leaders came out with statements berating Manjhi.</p>.<p>BJP MLA Hari Bhushan Thakur went to the extent of asking why the former CM, a septuagenarian, "was named Jitan Ram Manjhi and not Jitan Rakshas (demon) Manjhi".</p>.<p>Manjhi chose not to reply to the vituperations but stuck to his guns on Wednesday when he reiterated, "I do not believe Lord Rama was a great man. He is a work of fiction. I believe Valmiki and Goswami Tulsidas were great men who came out with such an inspiring character." </p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
<p>Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Thursday lashed out at "dharam ke thekedaar" – self-appointed guardians of faith – whom he squarely blamed for Dalits being deprived of a life of dignity.</p>.<p>Manjhi, whose Hindustani Awam Morcha is a part of the ruling alliance in the state, expressed anguish on Twitter, sharing a heart-wrenching news report of a Dalit couple in Karnataka being penalised after their two years old child inadvertently stepped into a temple.</p>.<p>Incidentally, Karnataka is ruled by the BJP which is also the largest partner in the ruling coalition in Bihar.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/dalit-family-asked-to-pay-rs-25000-after-2-year-old-enters-koppal-temple-5-held-1033046.html" target="_blank">Dalit family asked to pay Rs 25,000 after 2-year-old enters Koppal temple, 5 held</a></strong></p>.<p>"I am giving voice to the pain that has been experienced for centuries. So far, I have been shy of expressing the anguish. Now nobody will say a word. The 'dharam ke thekedaar' go silent on such matters... they cannot brook Dalits entering the temples or offering their views on religious works ('dharmik kavya')," he tweeted.</p>.<p>His outrage came close on the heels of a barrage of insults from the BJP after he made a statement, suggesting that Lord Rama was a fictional, and not historical, figure.</p>.<p>He made the comment recently, reacting to demands by some BJP leaders here that Ramayana be included in the school syllabus, following a similar move by the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh.</p>.<p>Manjhi had said that he was very much in favour of the epic being taught in schools though he was of the view that "Lord Rama was not a man who lived on this earth at any point of time".</p>.<p>In response, several BJP leaders came out with statements berating Manjhi.</p>.<p>BJP MLA Hari Bhushan Thakur went to the extent of asking why the former CM, a septuagenarian, "was named Jitan Ram Manjhi and not Jitan Rakshas (demon) Manjhi".</p>.<p>Manjhi chose not to reply to the vituperations but stuck to his guns on Wednesday when he reiterated, "I do not believe Lord Rama was a great man. He is a work of fiction. I believe Valmiki and Goswami Tulsidas were great men who came out with such an inspiring character." </p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>