Patna, Dec 16 (IANS): Known for making controversial statements, RJD MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh on Monday once again sparked controversy, saying that while temples promote stupidity, it is the schools which promote rationality.

“Today, there are two paths in society. People either send their children to the temple or to school. The temple promotes superstition, hypocrisy, and stupidity while the school promote rational knowledge, scientificity, and change in life. We have to choose where we need to send our children,” said the RJD MLA during a felicitation ceremony at a technical school in Deoria village in Dehri.

He also criticised the influence of temples, claiming they promote ‘superstition’.

Last year, the RJD MLA said that he was a descendant of Mahisasur, a figure from Hindu mythology.

Singh further stirred controversy with his remarks on religion, caste, and societal structure, attributing his views to the pioneering social reformer Savitribai Phule.

He also touched upon sensitive issues related to caste hierarchies and religious practices, which have already sparked strong reactions in the past.

Singh clarified that his statements were not his own but drawn from the teachings of Savitribai Phule, a prominent figure in India’s social reform movement.

“The majority of us have not been called Hindus in any Hindu scriptures. We have been referred to as Shudras. Those who followed Brahmanism were made Kshatriyas, those who served them were made Vaishyas, and those who opposed them were labelled as also Shudras. However, humanity should be paramount, as all humans are equal,” the MLA said.

His remarks align with the ideological stance of social justice that challenges caste hierarchies, emphasising the need for equality and humanism over rigid societal divisions.