Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has apologised over a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter) on an incorrect translation of a verse from Bhagavad Gita. Taking to the micro-blogging site on Thursday, he said that one of his "team members" posted the incorrect translation of the 'shloka'.
"As soon as I noticed the mistake, I promptly deleted the post. The state of Assam reflects a perfect picture of a casteless society, thanks to the reform movement led by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva," he wrote on X.
"If the deleted post has offended anyone, I sincerely apologize," Himanta Biswa Sarma's post further stated.
The post, which Sarma posted on Tuesday (December 26), created a massive row with several opposition leaders, including AIMIM chief Assaduddin Owaisi, accusing him of promoting caste division.
It said that according to the Bhagavad Gita, it is the "natural duty" of the Shudras to serve the other three castes of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas.
Owaisi said that the post reflected the "unfortunate cruelty that Assam's Muslims have faced in the past few years".
"Hindutva is antithetical to Liberty, Equality, Fraternity and Justice," the AIMIM supremo's X post further mentioned.
The CPI(M) also jabbed Himanta Biswa Sarma, saying the post was "(the) BJPs Manuvadi ideology in full play". Congress leader Pawan Khera also criticised the Assam Chief Minister's post.
"And then if you say something to him, he will send his cops. But such stupid comments cannot be ignored," Khera wrote on X.
