Amol Mitkari, an MLC of Sharad Pawar led NCP made fun of Hindu rituals like Kanyadaan at weddings while addressing a rally in NCP Pariwar Samwad Yatra at Islampur in Sangli district of Maharashtra on 19th April 2022. Amol Mitkari demeaned Hindu rituals by mimicking a Brahmin who usually performs rituals. In his speech, Amol Mitkari also told false mantras and their false meaning to disrespect Hindu rituals in general and demonize Brahmins in particular.
पुजारी आणि ब्राह्मणांची खिल्ली उडवताना Amol Mitkari. एका राज्याच्या मंत्र्याला किती हसू अनावर झाले बघा. अशी हिंदू संस्कृतीची चेष्टा करायला ह्यांच्या नास्तिक साहेबांनी ह्यांना शिकवले. पालघर साधूंची हत्या आणि ही चेष्टा फक्त लक्षात असुद्या.
— Pranav Jadhav (@pranaavj) April 20, 2022
कालाय तस्मै नमः #NCP
– एक आस्तिक बहुजन pic.twitter.com/N0F4y5W4xo
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray had said that if the government does not take any action against the loudspeakers in the mosques, then his party members will play Hanuman Chalisa in front of the mosques in a volume double that of the Azaan. In an attempt to give what he would think to be a befitting reply to Raj Thackeray, Amol Mitkari first recited the Hanuman Chalisa and said, “Raj Thackeray need not preach us our Dharma. Before putting on a loudspeaker he should first make sure if he can really recite the Hanuman Chalisa. I remember the whole Hanuman Chalisa and I can recite it.”
Amol Mitkari then went on to recite a few verses from the Hanuman Chalisa. Applauding him, the NCP state president and a minister in the Maharashtra government Jayant Patil asked him to recite Maruti Stotram. In response to this, Amol Mitkari recited a verse from Ram Raksha Stotram that describes Lord Hanuman. As he received great applause for reciting the verse in Sanskrit, he went on to recite another verse called Sanskhipt Ramayana. This verse summarizes the whole story of Lord Rama in just four lines. At the end of the verse, Amol Mitkari mimicked a Brahmin or a priest performing rituals and said “put the water to your eyes.”
Listening to this, Jayant Patil and another NCP minister on the dais Dhananjay Munde broke into laughter. Showcasing his hatred towards the Hindu rituals, Amol Mitkari further said in a disgusting tone, “This is how it is done. Who knows when will our Bahujan Samaj get well from this?”
In a yet more disgusting voice, he said, “Do Achamanam. Leave off the water.” Continuing his address, he said, “Munde Saheb, once I went to a place. Kanyadan rituals were being performed. The girl’s father asked me to sit for a while. He said, please sit for a while Kanyadaan is going on. I asked him, Sir, I have heard of Annadaan (donating food), Netradaan (donating eyes), Raktdaan (donating blood), etc. Is the daughter an object meant for donation? He said, yes it is like this only. We have been taught like this. As he asked me to sit, I sat there on a chair.”
Amol Mitkari further said, “The bridegroom was a Ph. D. holder and the bride was an MA.” Here onwards, Amol Mitkari again mimicked the priest saying, “Dhoopam deepam naivedyam namaskaram. Put the water on your eyes.” And he went on to chant the mantras like a priest. Then came a point where he said, “Give your hand in mine. Give your wife’s hand in my hand. And then the priest said, repeat after me, I submit my wife to you. I murmured into the ears of that bridegroom. You are an idiot! That Maharaj (priest) is asking you to take your wife away.”
Then repeating his gestures of disrespect he said, “When are we going to be better? And these people are telling us about the Hanuman Chalisa today. There are more leaders to speak after my speech. Saheb, I will just complete the Udyapan (a Dharmic ritual). Only make sure that I get a proper Dakshina. The moment I get my Dakshina, I will disappear.” Indirectly Amol Mitkari was implying that the priest gives importance only to the Dakshinas and not the rituals.
What is Kanyadaan and how did Amol Mitkari spread lies about it?
The wedding ritual of Kanyadaan is a Sanskrit word that is derived from joining two separate words, Kanya, meaning girl, and Aadaan, meaning to receive. Kanyadaan is a ritual performed in Indian wedding ceremonies in which the parents of the bride solemnize her marriage with the bridegroom in front of the holy fire and the bridegroom agrees to receive the bride in his family. It is only after this ritual that the girl leaves her paternal house and goes to her in-laws. Equating the term Kanyadaan with some sort of donation Amol Mitkari objectified the women and put the onus of this act on the Hindu rituals.
Also, talking about taking one’s hand in hand, Amol Mitkari misled the audience and uttered sheer lies. While initiating the Sankalpa of the marriage rituals, the bride, her parents, and the bridegroom join their hands together to take the vow of keeping the relationship intact. Amol Mitkari spread the lie that the priest takes the hands of the couple in his hand and asks the bridegroom to submit his wife to the priest. This has possibly emerged out of the Hindu hatred in general and his Brahmin hatred in particular.
