As pub­lic de­bate con­tin­ues over the phrase “one per cent,” re­li­gious lead­ers are urg­ing cit­i­zens and pub­lic of­fi­cials to keep the con­ver­sa­tion ground­ed in law, fair­ness and re­spect for all groups in so­ci­ety.

Their com­ments come amid wider pub­lic dis­cus­sion fol­low­ing re­cent state­ments by Prime Min­is­ter Kam­la Per­sad-Bisses­sar and At­tor­ney Gen­er­al John Je­re­mie about wealth, pow­er, crime and the prin­ci­ple that no one is above the law.

Sanatan Dhar­ma Ma­ha Sab­ha sec­re­tary gen­er­al Vi­jay Ma­haraj said the phrase “one per cent” was po­lit­i­cal and should not be ap­plied to one com­mu­ni­ty alone.