Madhya Pradesh minister apologises for calling Raja Rammohan Roy as 'British Agent'

In the heart of Madhya Pradesh's Agar Malwa district, a celebratory gathering for tribal icon Birsa Munda's 150th birth anniversary turned into a flashpoint of fury yesterday when Higher Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar dropped a bombshell remark, branding legendary reformer Raja Rammohan Roy as "British Agent" tied to a sinister plot of religious conversions through missionary schools. Speaking passionately to a crowd honoring Munda's brave stand against colonial tricks, Parmar said that during the British rule, these schools lured young minds with education only to push conversions, and Roy, in his view, played right into that scheme while true heroes like Munda walked away in defiance to lead the fightback.

The words, meant to spotlight overlooked tribal tales, instead ignited instant outrage with oppostions slamming the minister for tarnishing Roy's timeless legacy as the father of modern India who championed women's rights and ended dark practices like sati—leaving many wondering how such a slip could overshadow a day meant for unity and pride. Diving deeper into his speech, Parmar wove a narrative of hidden histories, accusing past governments of burying the grit of real tribal warriors like Munda—who ditched school upon spotting the missionaries' true game—and propping up "fake" reformers to smooth the path for British agendas. He hailed Munda's courage as unmatched, the one voice bold enough to roar against the conversion tide, and tied it to today's push for 2025's big milestones. Yet, the focus on colonial-era missionary motives and Roy's alleged role struck a raw nerve, especially in a nation still unpacking its painful past, where education and faith remain hot-button issues that can rally or rile crowds in seconds—turning what could have been a heartfelt tribute into a viral storm of debates on who gets to rewrite history's heroes.

Stepping up swiftly to douse the flames, Minister Parmar apologises saying his statement was a "slip of tongue", his voice heavy with regret as he owned the "wrong words" as a pure mistake born of the moment's heat. "I am extremely saddened and atone for it—Raja Rammohan Roy was a famous social reformer, and I personally respect him deeply, the statement slipped out inadvertently" he said, urging calm while doubling down on his admiration for the man who sparked India's social revolution.This is not the first time when Parmar's statements have created uproar and controversy. Earlier, he claimed that India has not been discovered by Vasco da Gama but by a merchant named Chandan, saying that we all have been taught the wrong history, he asserted that the official historical narrative had long been distorted.