LS Speaker praises Brahmins, triggers row

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has triggered a controversy by saying that Brahmins always held a high place in society, with a civil rights group announcing that it will complain to the President. The people’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has condemned the remark made by the Speaker over Twitter after he attended a Brahmin Mahasabha event in Kota on Sunday.

A minister in Rajasthan’s Congress government has also indirectly criticised it. "Brahmins have always had a high position in society. This position is the result of their sacrifice and dedication. This is the reason that Brahmin society has always been in the role of a torchbearer,” the Speaker tweeted in Hindi.

“Only the human beings are the best,” Rajasthan Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasara said when asked to comment on Om Birla’s remark. The PUCL said the Speaker’s comment went against Article 14 of the Constitution, on equality before law, and demanded that he should withdraw it.

In a statement, the PUCL said the remark promotes casteism and gives other communities a sense of inferiority. "How can a person holding this constitutional post make such remarks publicly? PUCL strongly condemns this and demand from the Speaker to withdraw the remark," the statement said.

It said the PUCL will complain to President Ram Nath Kovind.