(This story originally appeared in on Sep 26, 2015)

NEW DELHI: Union minister of state for culture Mahesh Sharma, who has become a lightning rod for controversy, airing views ranging from pronouncing night outs for women as anti-Indian to praising late President A P J Abdul Kalam for being a nationalist despite being a Muslim, has been asked to pipe down and keep a low profile.Sharma's penchant for casting himself as a culture warrior out to cleanse public discourse of western influence and restore Indian values led to speculation that he had official sanction of BJP to articulate a "saffron" agenda, particularly in the absence of any apparent reprimand.Party sources said it has been emphatically conveyed to Sharma that his comments are unnecessary, that he has exceeded his brief as culture minister and has been advised to stay out of adverse limelight.The minister's promise to scrub history and culture free of un-Indian taints, his remarks that Bible and Quran are not central to India's ethos, meat ban during Navratras may be a political decision and likely introduction of Gita and Ramayana as school texts kicked up one controversy after another. Though Mahesh Sharma issued clarifications with regard to some of his remarks, there was concern in government that the statements were seen to reflect official thinking and read as evidence of an RSS-dictated mandate.It was also suspected that Sharma could be trying to boost his stock with sections of Sangh Parivar by endorsing hardline positions on cultural issues.Even though Mahesh Sharma has said that he was selectively quoted, greater discretion while speaking out on politically sensitive culture issues, particularly at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is stressing economic and development goals, was seen to be urgently required.The minister also launched a public campaign against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's decision to appoint the director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library 48 hours before demitting office. On this issue, however, his actions -that led to the incumbent's resignation -are not seen to be out of step, with sections of the government holding that the appointment was improper, if not illegal, in the first place.The minister seems to have repeatedly tripped while attempting to articulate an "alternative" view of culture and history that runs counter to Left-secular viewpoints. His efforts were seen as ham-handed even as RSS sources pointed out that the Sangh did not need any help in voicing its position on any issue.Defending himself, Mahesh Sharma said that he had not suggested any restrictions on women and night-outs, stating that his daughter was a doctor and often worked late. "It is not my intention to differentiate between sons and daughters," he told TV channels.On the Kalam controversy, Mahesh Sharma said, "One or half a line has been picked up. I was asked whether all roads names after Muslims were being changed and I said there is no such intention. If a road is being named after Dr Kalam, he was a Muslim, a nationalist and a humanitarian."In an earlier interview, the minister reacted to the meat ban controversy in Mumbai, saying, "The Centre will take a call on banning meat during Navratra. It will be a political decision."With regard to renaming of Aurangzeb Road as A P J Abdul Kalam Road, Sharma had told a TV channel, "Aurangzeb Road ka bhi naam badal kar ek aise mahapurush ke naam par kiya hai jo Musalmaan hote hue bhi itna bada rashtravadi aur manavtavadi insaan tha, APJ Abdul Kalam. Unke naam par kiya gaya hai (Aurangzeb Road has been named after such a great man who, despite being a Muslim, was a nationalist and a humanist, A P J Abdul Kalam. The road has been named after him)."