In Rajasthan, minister’s ‘DNA test to check if Hindu’ remark met with a protest — featuring blood samples

Tribal leader and Banswara MP Rajkumar Roat on Saturday led a protest against Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar’s suggestion of a DNA test to verify if Roat was indeed a Hindu.

Holding their blood samples in their hands, Roat and the supporters of his Bharat Adivasi Party started marching towards Dilawar’s residence to mark a protest but were stopped by the police, after which they protested at the Amar jawan Jyoti.

“There is immense anger against Madan Dilawar’s comments. Until he resigns and apologises to the community, we will not let it go,” Roat said, adding that the minister has committed a grave mistake and the party will raise the issue in the state Assembly as well as before Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament.

The controversy broke out on June 21 after Dilawar, while responding to a question on the tribal leader’s earlier remarks that he and his supporters were not Hindu, said: “Hain ke nahi hain, woh toh unke poorwajon se pooch lenge … aur Hindu nahi hain woh toh phir unke DNA ki jaanch kara lenge, unke baap ki aulad hain ke nahi woh (We will ask his ancestors whether he is a Hindu or not … and if (he says) he is not a Hindu, then we’ll get his DNA tested whether he is his father’s son or not).”

At Saturday’s protest, where he was joined by party MLA from Dungarpur Umesh Meena as well as Congress MLAs Ramkesh Meena (Gangapur) and Ghanshyam (Todabhim), Roat reiterated he does not fall under the Hindu varna system.

“Our country’s Constitution gives everyone the freedom to follow any religion or not…We do not oppose any religion but we indeed say that we do not come under any religion. Why should anyone have a problem? The BJP leaders should end the politics of religion and stop misleading the