SC/ST protest in Delhi's Hanuman temple after UP CM's 'Hanuman is Dalit' comment

Speaking on the same, one of the protesters said “Chief Minister called Hanuman Dalit, we are here to show that Hanuman belongs to us and we will take care of them.” The protesters further demanded that “we should also be made prime priest of the temple”

New Delhi: Days after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed lord Hanuman as Dalit, protests erupted in Delhi’s Connaught place’s Hanuman Temple where people from minority community gathered and raised slogans. ‘Ek he naara doh he naam, jai bheem jai hanuman’ and ‘jab hanuman humara hai toh mandir kyu tumhara hai’ slogans could be heard being raised by the protesters. The protesters could be seen gathered outside the temple, sitting on the floor. Not only outside the temple, the protesters can also be seen raising slogans inside the temple. Speaking on the same, one of the protesters said “Chief Minister called Hanuman Dalit, we are here to show that Hanuman belongs to us and we will take care of them.” The protesters further demanded that “we should also be made prime priest of the temple”. He further said that “Brahmins have taken over our temples”. While addressing a rally in poll-bound Rajasthan’s Alwar, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on November 29 had said that Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. He had also said that Bajrang bali worked to connect all the communities of the world. BJP MP takes on Yogi Earlier, Bharatiya Janta Party MP from Uttar Pradesh Savitribai Phule, who is famous for making controversial statements, used the term ‘manuvadi’ for lord Ram, Savitribai questioned that if Lord Hanuman wasn’t a Dalit, why wasn’t he made a human and why was he turned into a monkey? She further asked why he was given a tail. Phule further lashed out at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and said “Yogi’s love for Dalits is only a showoff and if he loves Dalits, he must hug them and give them respect”. She also said “only Dalits should be kept as priests in all the temples in the country because only 3% Pandits have only taken over everything”.