MP Education Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah mocks transgenders in Teachers' Day speech, faces flak

BHOPAL: On September 5, the day which is celebrated as the Teachers' Day, a minister in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh courted a controversy by apparently mocking the transgenders as he insisted the students to clap for their teachers as a mark of respect for them.

While addressing a gathering of students on Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh Education Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah said if you don't clap for your teacher, you will go door to door and clap in your next life, in an apparent reference to eunuchs' clap.

"Agar guru ke samman mein apne taaliyan nahi bajayi to agle janam mein ghar ghar ja kar taaliyan bajani padengi," Shah said.

Shah's speech on the occasion was also recorded on camera. 

#WATCH Madhya Pradesh Education Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah says 'Agar Guru ke samman mein apne taaliyan nahi bajayi to agle janam mein ghar ghar ja kar taaliyan bajani padengi' pic.twitter.com/2ofSTeubDT

— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2018

In the video, the minister can be seen urging the students to give a big round of applause to their teachers in respect on the occasion of Teachers' Day. 

Earlier today, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to the country's second President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary, which is celebrated as Teachers' Day across the country.

Born on September 5, 1888, Dr Radhakrishnan was an Indian philosopher and a scholar. He had taught at different universities, the University of Mysore and the Oxford University being prominent among them. His areas of expertise were Philosophy and Moral Science and was a great and an inspiring individual.

His work dedicated towards education shaped the youth of the country in the early years of the democracy.

Dr S Radhakrishnan was very much admired by his students and when approached by them to observe his birthday as 'Radhakrishnan Day', he instead suggested that it would be  a great privilege for him if the day is observed as 'Teachers' Day', a day to thank the teachers, mentors and educators around the world as a mark of respect.

Since then, September 5 is celebrated as 'Teachers' Day' every year.