“If we get wealth only by worshipping Goddess Lakshmi, then there would have been no billionaires and trillionaires among Muslims.”: Bihar MLA

A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, Lalan Paswan from Bihar’s Pirpainti constituency garnered controversy by questioning Muslims’ beliefs in the Hindu Goddess Laxmi and other Hindu deities.

He said that there would not have any billionaires and trillionaires among Muslims if worshipping the goddess Lakshmi would make people rich, as reported ANI.

“If we get wealth only by worshipping Goddess Lakshmi, then there would have been no billionaires and trillionaires among Muslims. Muslims do not worship Goddess Lakshmi, are they not rich?” Paswan said, as quoted by ANI.

“Muslims do not worship Goddess Saraswati. Are there no scholars among Muslims? Do not they become IAS or IPS?” he further asked rhetorically.

He asserted that everything, including the affair of “Atma and Paramatma”, is just people’s belief.

He said, “If you believe then it is a goddess and if not then it is just a stone idol. It is up to us whether we believe in Gods and Goddesses or not. We have to think on a scientific basis to reach a logical conclusion. If you stop believing, then your intellectual capacity will increase.”

“It is believed that Bajrangbali is a deity with power and bestows strength. Muslims or Christians do not worship Bajrangbali. Are they not powerful? The day you stop believing, all these things will end,” He added.

People in Bhagalpur protested the BJP MLA’s statement and burned his effigy in response to their anger.

"मुसलमान लक्ष्मी की पूजा नहीं करते, तो क्या वे अमीर नहीं होते"
"मुसलमान सरस्वती को नहीं पूजते, तो क्या मुसलमान शिक्षित नहीं होते" – BJP MLA Lalan Paswan from Bhagalpur,Bihar pic.twitter.com/RDoSM0jMEY

— Muktanshu  (@muktanshu) October 19, 2022