Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Claims Brahmins are Superior to All, Gets Trolled on Twitter

Guwahati, September 10, 2019:

Lok Sabha Speaker and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Om Birla has come under fire for a recent tweet in which he claimed that Brahmins are superior to all other castes in the country.

In a tweet, the senior BJP leader had said, "समाज में ब्राह्मणों का हमेशा से उच्च स्थान रहा है। यह स्थान उनकी त्याग, तपस्या का परिणाम है। यही वजह है कि ब्राह्मण समाज हमेशा से मार्गदर्शक की भूमिका में रहा है।" (translation: Brahmins have always had a high status in society. This status is a result of their sacrifice and dedication. This is the reason that Brahmins have always been the guiding light for society).

Twitterati soon called him out on his statement and many users alleged that as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, he must set an example and abide by the Constitution. The Indian Constitution mandates equality among all, and Birla's statement was a direct violation of it.

Meanwhile, Birla's statement has also been decried by opposition leaders. Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani asked Birla to “publicly apologize” for his statement.

"This celebration of Indian caste system is not only condemnable but also cringe-worthy!", Mevani said in a Tweet.

"Time to change this mindset Mr. Speaker. This 'Class' within the society was wrong, is wrong and shall remain a wrong", one user wrote on Twitter, while another said, "Casteism thrives even among those sworn to uphold Constitution's letter & spirit."

Bisla is yet to take down the tweet and has yet to offer an apology. He was selected as the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha on 19 June.

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