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Seers, right wingers see red over Swami Prasad’s comments on Ramcharitamanas
Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha leader declares ₹51000 reward for anyone who chops off SP Maurya’s tongue, seers ask Samajwadi Party to sack him
LUCKNOW Seers of Ayodhya and the saffron brigade across Uttar Pradesh were up in arms against Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya for his comments on epic Ramcharitmanas written by Goswami Tulsidas.
Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) office-bearers took to the streets in Agra on Monday to protest against Maurya’s statement, with one of them announcing a reward of ₹51,000 for anyone who chops off the SP leader’s tongue.
“We carried Swami Prasad Maurya’s effigy for funeral and released it into the Yamuna. The police tried to prevent us from doing so, but there was no stopping for angry activists of the ABHM,” stated Sanjay Jat, spokesperson of the outfit.
“Whoever chops off the tongue of SP leader and former minister in state cabinet, Swami Prasad Maurya, will be rewarded with ₹51,000,” declared Saurabh Sharma, district unit in-charge of ABHM.
In Lucknow, ABHM activists submitted an application at the Hazratganj police station, demanding an FIR against Maurya. Cops had to restrain agitated members of the Mahasabha, who were on way to Maurya’s residence to stage protest.
Speaking to a news channel on Sunday, SP leader Maurya had stated that Ramcharitamanas promoted social discrimination and spread hatred.
He kicked off a row by commenting that certain verses of the epic were “casteist and derogatory” to the backward community and Dalits and should be removed.
“Religion is meant for the welfare of humanity and for strengthening it. If there is any insult to a section of society due to certain lines in the Ramcharitamanas on the basis of ‘jaati’, ‘varn’ and ‘varg’, then it is certainly not ‘dharma’, it is ‘adharma’. There are certain lines in which names of castes such as ‘teli’ and ‘kumhaar’ are mentioned,” said Maurya, who is considered a prominent OBC leader in the state.
The SP distanced itself from Maurya’s remark, saying it was his personal comment while the Bharatiya Janata Party in UP demanded that he apologises and takes back his statement.
Acharya Satyendra Das, head priest of Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, asked the Samajwadi Party to expel Swami Prasad Maurya from the party.
“There is nothing in the Ramcharitamanas against any caste or community. In fact, the epic binds all communities,” said Das.
“Maurya must confine his comments to politics and not to any religion. His comments are a pack of lies and highly derogatory to the Hindu community. The SP must sack him from the party,” he added.
Raju Das, priest of Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya, said: “People like him (Swami Prasad Maurya) are a disgrace. They do not know anything about Ramcharitamanas. The text has nothing against anyone. The Samajwadi Party must take action against him.”
Maurya’s statement on Ramcharitamanas came after similar comments by Bihar Education minister Chandra Shekhar. He was cabinet minister in the Yogi Adityanath government in its first tenure and joined the SP just before 2022 assembly polls.
Swami Prasad Maurya had contested the assembly poll from Fazilnagar assembly constituency in Kushinagar, but lost the election.
