Madhubani: A temple in Bihar’s Madhubani district was “purified” by priests after Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishor visited it with Muslim candidate Parvez Alam. The act has triggered sharp criticism over the persistence of religious intolerance in public life.
The incident occurred on October 28 when Kishor and Alam visited the sanctum of a temple in Benipatti and offered prayers to Lord Shiva. Priest Shrawan Kumar said arrangements were made for Kishor’s visit after being informed he would perform a puja. However, he claimed he was unaware that Alam, dressed in traditional Mithila clothing, was a Muslim.
“Later, after seeing photographs and learning that Parvez Alam is Muslim, we decided to purify the temple and performed Rudra Abhishek using Panchgavya and Gangajal,” the priest said. Panchgavya is a mixture of milk, curd, ghee, cow urine, and dung.
Local residents reportedly objected to a Muslim entering the sanctum, prompting the priests to carry out the cleansing ritual. The JSP has not issued an official statement on the controversy.
Parvez Alam is contesting from the Benipatti assembly seat on a Jan Suraaj Party ticket. Kishor, who has chosen not to contest elections himself, has said that a JSP victory in Bihar would reshape the direction of national politics.
The incident has reignited debate on the continued exclusion of Muslims from shared public spaces and the political use of faith to influence voter sentiment in Bihar.
