Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and former Minister Swami Prasad Maurya’s controversial statement on Ramcharitmanas complied by Tulsidas led to widespread criticism in Uttar Pradesh, with the ruling BJP alleging that the statement reflected the ideology of his party on Hinduism and radical Hindutva groups such as The Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) submitting a police complaint against Mr. Maurya demanding action for the remarks.
BJP leader Aparna Yadav alleged that the statement highlighted the character and ideology of Mr. Maurya. “It is a very bad mentality to have such thinking about Ramcharitmanas. He has not even read Ramcharitmanas properly. We have not seen God but have heard about his character. Everyone praises him. Reciting the name of Ram gives peace,” said Ms. Yadav.
Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, “In the past when Mr. Maurya was in the BJP, he never made such statements. But since joining the SP, statements disrespecting Hinduism is coming from him. It reflects that creating disharmony in society is the SP’s agenda. They will face electoral consequences,”.
Mr. Maurya had said that in the Ramcharitmanas, objectionable language was used against backwards, Dalits and Adivasis. “It is not true that crores of people read it. It was written by Tulsidas for his own happiness. But why abuses in the name of religion? Abuses to Backwards, Dalits and tribals. I respect all religions. But if in the name of religion, a community or caste is humiliated then it is objectionable,” said Mr. Maurya.
The SP has distanced itself from Mr. Maurya’s statement with its leaders maintaining that the party respected all religious texts and religions. Mr. Maurya, a senior U.P. politician, joined the SP before the 2022 election after resigning as Minister in the Yogi Adityanath Cabinet and as well as from the BJP, alleging injustice to the Other Backward Classes in the saffron camp.
