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After Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma kicked up a storm with his remarks that some people suffer from life-threatening diseases such as cancer because of sins committed in the past, which he called "divine justice,” he said that his statement was taken out of context.
He said that his statement was made in the context of helping poor students in government schools who should not be neglected.
He said that his words were not to cause pain to cancer patients and their families, and offered an unconditional apology for his remarks.
However, he still supported his karmic justice theory and stated that the western thought process cannot dominate the 5,000-year-old Hindu philosophy.
This is what he said on Wednesday, 22 November:
The comments sparked sharp reactions in the political circles and among cancer patients.
Sarma gave his two cents on cancer while at a function organised for distribution of appointment letters to teachers in Guwahati on 22 November, Tuesday.
Sarma’s remarks created a furore and many from the political circle slammed him for his insensitivity.
Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram took a dig at Sarma on Twitter.
Sarma switched from Congress to BJP in 2015.
Leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly Debabratta Saikia asked Sarma to apologise to all cancer patients.
On Wednesday, Sarma clarified that he had only said “Hinduism believes in karmic law, and human sufferings are linked to karmic deficiencies of past lives”.
Incidentally, Sarma also tweeted in 2010 that his father had cancer.
Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim
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