My ancestors were Hindu, kin still are: Bihar minister
Jama Khan won the last assembly election from Chainpur in Kaimur district on Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) ticket but later switched to Janata Dal (United).
PATNA: Bihar’s minority welfare minister Jama Khan has said his ancestors were Hindus from Rajasthan and converted to Islam later.
Khan was talking to reporters at Hajipur on Thursday night during which he was asked about the current row in Uttar Pradesh over alleged conversion of Hindus to Islam.
Khan had won the last assembly election from Chainpur in Kaimur district on Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) ticket but later switched to Janata Dal (United).
Khan said his ancestors, Bhagwan Singh and his younger brother Jay Ram Singh, who were Rajputs, had come to Kaimur area from Baiswara in Rajasthan in 14th century AD and settled there after winning some battles and amassing land.
According to Khan, Bhagwan Singh converted to Islam while Jay Ram Singh remained a Hindu.
“The descendents of Jay Ram Singh are still living at Saraiya village, adjacent to my village Naughara in Chainpur block of Kaimur district,” the minister said.
“We still have family relations and invite each other for family functions. I always visit my Hindu brothers in their village,” the minister said.
Anand Kumar Singh, a local journalist from Saraiya village and a descendent of Jay Ram Singh, said the Singh brothers along side Sakarwar dynasty ruler Shalivahan of Chainpur fought against Allauddin Khilji but were defeated and their king Shalivahan was killed.
“Bhagwan Singh was forced to convert to Islam to save his family and land,” Anand said, adding that descendents of the two brothers still maintained close ties.