Bihar temple 'purified' with gangajal after Kanhaiya Kumar's visit | Watch

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A massive row has erupted in Bihar over alleged 'purification of a temple' after Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar’s visit to Saharsa. A video circulating on social media shows a temple in Saharasa being washed and cleaned using Ganga water (gangajal) after Kanhaiya Kumar addressed a gathering there.

The incident happened at the Goddess Durga temple in Bangaon village, where Kanhaiya Kumar delivered a speech, while leading the Palayan Roko, Naukri Do (Stop Migration, Provide Jobs) yatra. The situation took a controversial turn when some individuals allegedly began washing the temple premises shortly after his visit. The video quickly went viral on social media.

Saharsa, Bihar: Local youths washed the Durga temple premises with Ganga Jal after Kanhaiya Kumar addressed a gathering there. pic.twitter.com/pX5GPIIeJI
Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) March 26, 2025

The video was shared by news agency IANS. The temple cleaning video has sparked political tensions, with Congress accusing its opponents of following untouchability, while the BJP interpreted the act as a rejection of Kumar’s ideology.

However, Kanhaiya Kumar has not commented on the viral video till now. On the other hand, Congress spokesperson Gyan Ranjan Gupta strongly criticised the BJP, questioning whether only RSS and BJP supporters are considered "pious" while others are treated as untouchables.

“We want to know if only RSS and BJP supporters are pious people and the rest are untouchable. The act has disrespected the descendants of Lord Parshuram. Have we entered a new phase of ultra-Sanskritisation in which non-BJP parties and supporters will be treated as untouchables?” Gupta asked while speaking to the Indian Express.

Notably, Kanhaiya Kumar, a former JNU Students' Union president, belongs to the upper-caste Bhumihar community. Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari urged verification of both the video's authenticity and the identities of those involved before drawing conclusions.

“In the first place, we should first verify the identity of those who washed the temple after Kanhaiya Kumar’s visit. And if a temple is washed after the Congress leader’s visit, it shows the kind of rejection towards Kanhaiya Kumar’s brand of politics,” Tiwari said.

When the media questioned the local residents, they stated that the temple is open to people of all castes and suggested that the act of washing the temple could have been orchestrated by miscreants.

On Sunday, the Bihar Congress launched a state-wide pada-yatra under the theme Palayan Roko, Naukri Do to highlight the issue of unemployment in the state. As part of this campaign, Kanhaiya Kumar visited West Champaran, where volunteers from the party’s youth and student wings started the yatra.