Portions of Ramcharitmanas 'insult' large section of society on basis of caste: SP leader
Lucknow, Jan 22: Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya on Sunday alleged that certain portions of the Ramcharitmanas "insult" a large section of society on the basis of caste and said these should be "banned".
Though the party distanced itself from Maurya's remark, saying it was his personal comments, the BJP in Uttar Pradesh demanded that he apologise and take back his statement.
Maurya, who is considered a prominent OBC leader in the state, said, "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 Ramcharitmanas 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," he said.
Maurya claimed that "the feelings of lakhs of people hailing from these castes have been hurt."
"Similarly, a 'chaupaai' (verse) says that women should be punished. This amounts to hurting the feelings of women, who constitute half of the population," he said in his comments on the Ramcharitmanas, a popular version of the Ramayana penned by poet Tulsidas.
"If a debate on Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas is an insult... then why are religious leaders not worried about the insult to SCs, STs, OBCs and women. Are SCs, STs, OBCs and (a large number of) women not Hindus?" Maurya, who had quit the BJP to join the SP ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, asked.
He demanded that "the objectionable portions of the Ramcharitmanas that insult on the basis of 'jaati', 'varn' and 'varg' should be banned".
Earlier this month, Bihar Education Minister and RJD leader Chandra Shekhar landed in a controversy after he alleged that certain verses of the Ramcharitmanas promoted social discrimination.
On Maurya's remarks, SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan said, "The Samajwadi Party respects all religions and traditions."
"The statement made by Swami Prasad Maurya is his personal comments, and it has nothing to do with the SP. The SP raises its voice for the youth, unemployed and women," he said.
Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary said, "(SP chief) Akhilesh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav, Dimple Yadav and Ramgopal Yadav should give an answer."
"Now, Swami Prasad Maurya is making desperate efforts to become a big leader (in the SP), but that reservation is not towards him, it is towards the (Yadav) family. The SP had worked to hamper our religious activities," he said.
Sharpening his attack on Maurya, Chaudhary said, "Such statements could be made by only a 'vikshipt' (mentally disturbed person). The SP has to decide whether the statement is of Swami Prasad Maurya or that of the party."
"The history of the SP is that it had always worked to impose a ban on our religious events and religious occasions. Maurya should not have given such a statement, and he should seek an apology. He has played with the sentiments of crores of countrymen. This is condemnable," the BJP leader said.
"He should take back his statement, and if he does not do so, then the SP should initiate action against him," Chaudhary said.
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RV Deshpande refutes ideas of him replacing Siddaramaiah as Karnataka CM
Mysuru: RV Deshpande, who is Chairman of Administrative Reforms Commission and a senior Congress leader, brushed aside questions about him replacing Siddaramaiah as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, clarifying that no such idea was discussed within the Congress or the High Command in New Delhi.
Addressing reporters in the city on Sunday, Deshpande, who had also headed the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), said that Siddaramaiah would not only continue as the CM of the state but also remain at the helm for the full term.
The former minister further clarified that no meetings over a possible replacement of Siddaramaiah had been held at the residences of either Home Minister Dr. G Parameshwara or Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi. Deshpande said that any meeting that the senior ministers held would have pertained to their respective ministries.
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When asked about his aspirations to become the CM of Karnataka, Deshpande said that he would reply to the question only if such an offer was made to him. Earlier, however, when asked if he hoped he would get a portfolio in the next Cabinet reshuffle, the Congress leader said that he had also held the position of a minister several times and now it would be appropriate for him to become the CM. He added that having ambitions was perfectly acceptable but not being desperate.
Although the issue of a replacement of Siddaramaiah has been raised in the backdrop of the CM facing charges of being allocated a site under the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) illegally, Deshpande supported Siddaramaiah, saying that there was not a single black mark in the CM’s five-decade-long career in politics. He pointed out that MUDA had allocated sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi as compensation for acquiring her land in Mysuru and opined that the allocation by MUDA was not wrong.
