Goddess Durga and the Mahishasura were liberally invoked during the debate in Parliament on the death of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula and the charges of sedition against students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) but not quite in the way that had been envisaged by the government.
The Congress took umbrage at the objectionable writings on the goddess in a pamphlet being read out by the Minister to serve as an example of “depravity” in the mindset of those who organise Mahishasur festivals in universities.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, who had protested against the matter on Thursday evening over the reading out of the pamphlets as well, raised objections on the issue again, saying, “The Minister must apologise for her remark about Goddess Durga.”
“People in the past have made blasphemous statements about gods, the Prophet and the Christ. But never before have these unsavoury remarks been repeated or quoted on the floor of the House,” Mr. Sharma added.
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said, “The quote was deliberate. The BJP used the entire debate to polarise. What was the need to bring in Goddess Durga? Ms. Irani has to apologise,” he said. He also pointed out that in the broad traditions of Hinduism, Mahishasura was not considered a demon by many communities in India, even among Hindus. .
Referring to Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha P.J. Kurien’s Malayali origins, Mr. Yechury said Onam celebrated by Malayalis was to honour the legendary King Mahabali, who was supposed to be an Asura King, and was killed by the Vamana avatar of God Vishnu. “Will they not be considered good Hindus?” he said.
Of Indira and Vajpayee
In his attack on the government over invoking Goddess Durga and Mahishasura in the ongoing debate in Parliament, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury on Friday made an interesting intervention.
“After the war of liberation of Bangladesh, the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee invoked Goddess Durga to describe the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in this very House. In response, Indira Gandhi had refused to accept the title saying that in India there are many who worship Mahishasura and it would not be proper for her to accept the encomium,” Mr. Yechury said.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley disputed that Mr. Vajpayee had ever done so and demanded to see records that authenticated the statement.
The BJP has always maintained that Mr. Vajpayee had never made the comparison.
