Ramcharitmanas Remark Row: BJP Demands Sacking Of SP Leader Maurya, Ayodhya Seer Announces Bounty On Head
“Had anyone else said this, these custodians would have called him a terrorist. Now, what should these seers be called? Terrorists, executioners or the devil?” Swami Prasad Maurya tweeted.
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad has intensified the controversy around him and this time he has targeted Hindu saints and seers by calling them ‘Atanki’ and ‘Jallad’.
In a tweet in Hindi, Maurya said, “Following a recent statement of mine, some custodians of religion had announced a reward for anyone who would cut my tongue and chop my head off.”
“Had anyone else said this, these custodians would have called him a terrorist. Now, what should these seers, mahants, dharmacharyas and people from a particular caste be called? Terrorists, executioners or the devil?” he added.
अभी हाल में मेंरे दिये गये बयान पर कुछ धर्म के ठेकेदारों ने मेरी जीभ काटने एवं सिर काटने वालों को इनाम घोषित किया है, अगर यही बात कोई और कहता तो यही ठेकेदार उसे आतंकवादी कहते, किंतु अब इन संतों, महंतों, धर्माचार्यों व जाति विशेष लोगों को क्या कहा जाए आतंकवादी, महाशैतान या जल्लाद।
— Swami Prasad Maurya (@SwamiPMaurya) January 27, 2023
His tweet has come amid an ongoing war of words between BJP and SP over Maurya’s comments on Hindu script Ramcharitmanas.
Ayodhya Seer Announces Rs 500 Bounty
Ayodhya seer Jagadguru Paramhans earlier demanded immediate action against Samajwadi Party MLC Swami Prasad Maurya and announced a bounty of Rs 500 on his head.
The seer said that he would give a reward of Rs 500 to anyone who will bring Maurya's head as this is his "status".
Swami Prasad Maurya On Ramcharitmanas
Earlier, the SP leader ignited a debate after he demanded a ban on the holy book of Ramcharitmanas, composed by the 16th-century poet-saint Tulsidas. He alleged that the scripture ‘insults’ Dalits and women, reported ANI.
He demanded the deletion of "insulting comments and sarcasm" targeted at particular castes and sects in Ramcharitmanas.
"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," Maurya had said.
Speaking to ANI, the former BJP leader said, "I don't have any issue with Ramcharitramanas but parts of it have insulting comments and sarcasm directed at particular castes and sects. Those should be removed."
Maurya further claimed that Ramcharitmanas hurts the sentiments of the Dalit community.
"The government should take effective action and show sensitivity. It should see that the sentiments of any community are not hurt," he added.
BJP Dares SP Chief To Sack Maurya
The Bharatiya Janta Party has challenged SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to sack Swami Prasad Maurya from the party.
Former Uttar Pradesh Minister Sidharth Nath Singh said to ANI, "Swami Prasad Maurya has been continuously targeting the Hindu religion, Hindu beliefs and Ramcharitmanas. The Samajwadi Party keeps saying that it is not associated with the statements of Maurya. I ask Akhilesh Yadav to stop running away from the statements made by Maurya and distance himself from him."
"If Akhilesh Yadav has the guts and respects the Hindus, their beliefs and Ramcharitmanas then throw out Swami Prasad Maurya from the party. Only then will we believe that Akhilesh Yadav does not support the statements made by Swami Prasad Maurya," he added.
Notably, Akhilesh Yadav has distanced himself and the party from Maurya’s comments on Ramcharitmanas.
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