Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Monday distanced herself from controversial remarks made by party general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya against Hinduism.
At a function held in memory of the former Bihar Chief Minister, Karpoori Thakur, on Sunday, Mr. Maurya said Goddess Gauri and Lord Ganesh should not be worshipped during marriages.
He made other critical references to the religion.
“The comments, related to religious customs, made by Mr. Maurya were his personal views, or reaction, and have nothing to do with the party,” Ms. Mayawati said in a statement here.
Ms. Mayawati’s reaction is seen as a damage-control measure against the backdrop of the Lok Sabha elections where the party failed to win a single seat in Uttar Pradesh.
Ms. Mayawati’s appeal to BSP cadres to support independents in the recent by-elections too had failed to elicit a positive response.
SecularismThe BSP believed in the basic principle of secularism and was a party based on the dictum “sarvjan hitaya sarvjan sukhaya,” (welfare for all, happiness for all) Ms. Mayawati said.
