Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and the Chairman of the All India Congress Committee for SC department, Nitin Raut stirred a controversy by making derogatory remarks against the Brahmin community. Speaking about the CAA, NRC and NPR, Raut questioned if the Brahmin community ‘who have come from abroad’ will teach them about furnishing identity certificates.

“Will the Brahmins from overseas teach us the wisdom of procuring and furnishing our identity certificates?” Raut questioned while speaking at a function organised at Nagpur’s Indoora ground on March 8 by the Phule, Shahu, Ambedkar Thought Conservation Committee. The statement was made in regard to CAA, NRC and NPR. Raut further added that if the provisions of the NPR remain identical to the ones brought by the Congress party in 2010, only then they will allow it to happen.

“If you ask me to furnish my grandfather’s certificate, I can show you. Dr Ambedkar helped me to get an opportunity to receive education even while being a Dalit. So, I can bring my grandfather’s certificate. But what about those who were not privileged enough to receive an education? These Brahmins, who themselves came from abroad, teach us about common sense? I will never let this happen,” Raut stated.

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Raut further said that the Muslims in the country would not have been in the quandary that they are in, had they heeded the path shown by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and started calling India as Bharat instead of Hindustan.

“When the Southborough Commission came to India, Babasaheb filed an appeal before them. At that time, Babasaheb was asked, Who do you represent? At that time Babasaheb said, I am first an Indian and last an Indian. I would like to tell the Muslims that this predicament would not have come if you had considered Babasaheb Ambedkar as your leader, had gone ahead with his thinking and stopped calling this country as Hindustan. Today is the opportunity. I urge Muslims to call themselves as Indian or Bhartiya and stop referring the country as Hindustan,” Raut said.