A Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA’s reference to Hindu god Lord Hanuman as an ‘Adivasi’ triggered a war of words on Saturday. Umang Singhar allegedly made the remarks during an event in Dhar district to mark the 123rd death anniversary of tribal leader Birsa Munda. The Congress MLA from Gandhwani explained that those described as apes in the Ramayana were actually tribals.
He said, “Adivasis who lived in the jungles helped Lord Ram reach Lanka. Some have called them Vanar Sena (ape army). However, these are just stories. Hanuman was also an Adivasi and we descended from him.”
The statement evoked strong reactions from the BJP with the state party spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai calling it an ‘insult’. "They don't consider Hanuman ji as God! They do not consider Hanuman ji to be worshipped by Hindus!”
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Tagging former state CM Kamal Nath and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he further asked, “Is this the idea of Congress for Lord Hanuman? Is the Congress speaking the language of Catholic priests at your behest who do conversions."
{{/usCountry}}Tagging former state CM Kamal Nath and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he further asked, “Is this the idea of Congress for Lord Hanuman? Is the Congress speaking the language of Catholic priests at your behest who do conversions."
{{/usCountry}}Responding to Bajpai’s tweet, the former MP forest minister demanded an apology for demeaning tribals and hurting the community’s sentiments.
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“Do you consider it an insult to Hanumanji when I call tribals the descendants of Lord Hanumanji? When I considered Lord Hanumanji to belong to our tribal society in my address, you publicly insulted me as a tribal by calling my address a ‘cheechhora statement’...” Singhar added.
Last month, another tribal Congress MLA Arjun Singh Kakodia had made a similar statement while addressing a public gathering in the presence of Kamal Nath in Seoni district. The MLA from Barghat constituency also claimed that Lord Shiva was a tribal who drank poison to save the world.