Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi

Stirring up another controversy, Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said there is nothing wrong in consuming alcohol after dinner. Addressing a conference of mahadalits at Rupaspur near Patna on Sunday, Manjhi said: "I do not consider it wrong if a person comes home in the evening, consumes a pauva (quarter) of alcohol before going off to sleep."

Manjhi advised the mahadalits that they should take booze as medicine if they were unable to give it up. "Alcohol is a bane of society and has ruined many families. Owing to their addiction, the mahadalits are not able to look after their children properly or improve their lifestyle. If you have to drink alcohol, you should take a little of it in the form of medicine," he said.

"My father Ramjit Manjhi wanted to send me to school, but I told him that he would to have stay away from booze if he wanted to see me as an educated man. I told him that I would be able to study only if he did not touch alcohol," the CM said.

Manjhi said that he was about 70-year-old, but he had not ever consumed alcohol in his life. He told the mahadalits that their community could forge ahead in society only if they studied and steered clear of alcohol, superstition and other social vices. "If you want to earn a name for yourself, you will have to do these things," he said.

Giving details of the various mahadalit welfare schemes launched by the state government, he said that the mahadalits had to educate not only their sons but also their daughters. "The mahadalits have to resolve that they would educate their children, especially the girls, and ensure their growth in a natural way."

Manjhi has been in the news for many of his controversial remarks, which have embarrassed his party, JD(U), and his predecessor Nitish Kumar, who had handpicked him as his successor soon after the ruling party fared miserably in the general elections held this year.

He, however, had to retract most of his statements later on prompting the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party to allege that the Chief minister did not have the freedom to air his views.