DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Minister Anil Vij Monday asserted that there is a vast difference between a "kathavachak" (religious storyteller) and a saint, who spreads the word about "Sanatan" values.

"Saints are the custodians of our culture. It is saints who have preserved and spread Sanatan values and knowledge over centuries. Just as a man needs food, he also needs religion, and that true understanding of religion can only come from a saint," the Transport and Energy Minister said here.

"There's a vast difference between a saint and a storyteller (kathavachak). Anyone can become a kathavachak after reading a few books, but that doesn't mean they possess complete spiritual knowledge," he told reporters here.

The minister made the remarks when he was asked about Aniruddhacharya, a "kathavachak" facing criticism for his remarks on women and live-in relationships.

"Such statements cannot be accepted by our religion, our culture, or our country under any circumstances," Vij said.

"A saint is one who, after renouncing worldly desires, freeing themselves from the traps of illusion (maya), performing penance, and attaining scriptural knowledge, connects their soul with the Divine. That's where true wisdom lies," he said.

"Many people do go to 'kathavachaks' for listening, and if it's for entertainment, then that's fine. But if someone is truly in search of knowledge, then they must seek a saint," he added.

The MLA stressed he was not asking people to stop going to kathavachaks. "I'm not stopping anyone from listening to 'kathas' (religious discourses)." Meanwhile, Vij again said he will undertake a tour of Haryana beginning August 15.

Vij had on Thursday downplayed his name not appearing in a list of MLAs appointed in-charges of the 42 assembly seats, where BJP candidates lost in the 2024 state polls, saying he had an entire state to oversee.

Vij, a seven-time legislator, said, "I am not upset at all...I am the most senior BJP MLA in Haryana. I have won assembly elections seven times. No one else has come even close. That's why I look after the entire state." The 72-year-old Ambala Cantt MLA Vij, when asked about his name not being on the list of 42 party legislators, recently told reporters, "See, others were assigned a constituency each, but I have to oversee Haryana entirely. I am the senior-most (party) MLA and have won seven times. Soon, I will begin a state-wide tour to meet both new and veteran party workers across various locations and check on their well-being."

(editor@dailyworld.in)