A poet has accused Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi of using his poem without his authorisation and asked her to not use his literary property for her political purposes. Uttar Pradesh based poet Pushyamitra Upadhyay posted a tweet today evening responding to a video posted by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Kumar Lallu, where Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen reciting Upadhyay’s well-known poem ‘Suno Draupadi Sashtra Utha Lo’.
सुनो द्रोपदी शस्त्र उठा लो अब गोविंद न आएंगे
— Ajay Kumar Lallu (@AjayLalluINC) November 17, 2021
कब तक आस लगाओगी तुम बिके हुए अखबारों से
कैसी रक्षा मांग रही हो दु:शासन दरबारों से
सुनो द्रोपदी शस्त्र उठा लो अब गोविंद न आएंगे
~ श्रीमती @priyankagandhi जी#LadkiHoonLadSaktiHoon pic.twitter.com/6hXVG3eTtE
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra used the poem to liken the BJP with the Kauravas while speaking to women on the bank of Mandakini river in Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh today. However, the poet has now taken a strong exception to the misuse of his creation for political purposes. He also asked what expectations people can have from a politician who steals even poems written by others.
Responding to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reciting his poet, he wrote, ‘I had written this poem for the women of the country not for your cheap politics. Neither I support your ideology not allow you for political use of my literary property. What the country will expect from those who steal even poetry?’
@priyankagandhi जी ये कविता मैंने देश की स्त्रियों के लिए लिखी थी न कि आपकी घटिया राजनीति के लिए। न तो मैं आपकी विचारधारा का समर्थन करता हूं और न आपको ये अनुमति देता हूं कि आप मेरी साहित्यिक संपत्ति का राजनैतिक उपयोग करें। कविता भी चोरी करने वालों से देश क्या उम्मीद रखेगा? https://t.co/pul4puX9Sr
— Pushyamitra upadhyay (@viYogiee) November 17, 2021
When the video of the same recitation was later posted by ANI Hindi on Twitter, poet Pushyamitra Upadhyay again posted the same tweet responding to it.
@priyankagandhi जी ये कविता मैंने देश की स्त्रियों के लिए लिखी थी न कि आपकी घटिया राजनीति के लिए। न तो मैं आपकी विचारधारा का समर्थन करता हूं और न आपको ये अनुमति देता हूं कि आप मेरी साहित्यिक संपत्ति का राजनैतिक उपयोग करें। कविता भी चोरी कर लेने वालों से देश क्या उम्मीद रखेगा? https://t.co/EHFvgnUYc7
— Pushyamitra upadhyay (@viYogiee) November 17, 2021
‘Suno Draupadi Sashtra Utha Lo’ has gone viral on social media several times earlier, which the poet had posted on his blog page in December 2012. The poet had earlier told media that he had written it after getting deeply affected by the horrific Delhi gang-rape case on December 16 that year.
Using the incidents from Mahabharata, the poet tells the women to pick up arms to protect themselves, because Govinda (Krishna) is not coming to save them.
Pushyamitra Upadhyay said that he had written the poem to describe the pain of women from all sections of society. Apart from the poem becoming popular on social media, it has also earned accolades for the poem. But now Upadhyay says that it has been misused for political benefits repeatedly.
