On Friday, January 27, Senior Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya once again stirred a controversy after he insulted Hindu saints and seers by dubbing them ‘Aatanki’ and ‘Jallad’. Previously, the SP leader drew criticism for demanding a ban on Ramcharitmanas claiming that certain verses ‘insult’ a large section of society.
In a tweet posted on January 27 in Hindi, the SP leader wrote, “Recently, some religious contractors have declared a reward for those who cut my tongue and head; if someone else had said the same thing, the same contractor would have called him a terrorist, but now these saints, mahants, religious leaders, and caste-specific leaders have declared a reward for those who cut my tongue and head. What do you call such people aatanki, mahashaitan or jallads.”
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
Defending his remark on Ramcharitramanas in front of the media, the SP leader further lashed out at Hindu saints by saying, “they are barking like maniacs because their earnings will stop as the tribals, Dalits, backwards, and women will stop visiting the temples.”
रामचरितमानस पर विवादित बयान देने वाले स्वामी प्रसाद मौर्य अपने बयान पर कायम हैं। उन्होंने एक बार फ़िर कहा: अगर मौर्या जी के इस आह्वान पर सभी आदिवासी, दलित, पिछड़े, और महिलाएं मंदिर में आना बंद कर दें तो चढ़ावा बंद हो जाएगा, उनकी पेट पूजा बंद हो जाएगी।#SwamiPrasadMaurya pic.twitter.com/TSMt8jwvHt
— UP Tak (@UPTakOfficial) January 25, 2023
The SP leader made disparaging remarks against Hindu seers and saints while targeting a local leader of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha who had on Monday announced a Rs 51,000 prize for anyone who would “chop off” his tongue.
“Any courageous person, if they cut off the tongue of SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya, would be rewarded with a Rs 51,000 cheque. He has insulted our religious text and hurt the sentiments of Hindus,” the Mahasabha’s district in-charge Saurabh Sharma said.
The remark came a day after Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya claimed that certain portions of the Ramcharitmanas “insult” a large section of society on the basis of caste and demanded that these be “banned”.
On January 22, Maurya, while speaking to a news channel, said that Ramcharitamanas, written by Goswami Tulsidas in the 17th century, promoted social discrimination and spread hatred. “Religion is meant for the welfare of humanity and for strengthening it. If there is any insult to a section of society due to certain lines in the Ramcharitamanas 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,” said the SP leader. He added Tulsidas wrote the book for his own pleasure while demanding a ban on the “objectionable portions” of the Ramcharitmanas.
The seer community in Uttar Pradesh slammed Maurya’s statements. Some even urged that the chief minister take action against him. The management of Lete Hanuman Ji temple in Lucknow’s Chowk area has even banned the entry of the SP leader. On Tuesday, the temple administration placed a banner at the temple’s main entrance prohibiting Maurya from entering. Protests were launched in various parts of Uttar Pradesh demanding the arrest of the SP leader for mocking the Hindu epic based on the Ramayana.
On January 24, an FIR under sections 153A, 295A,298, 504 505(2) of the IPC was registered against Samajwadi Party MLC Swami Prasad Maurya in connection with his remarks on Ramcharitramanas. The complaint was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by one Shivendra Mishra.
Uttar Pradesh | FIR registered against Samajwadi Party MLC Swami Prasad Maurya in connection with his remarks on Ramcharitramanas. The complaint was registered on the basis of a complaint by one Shivendra Mishra. IPC sections 153a, 295A,298, 504 505(2) invoked. https://t.co/IYD1ExOaHv
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 24, 2023
The Samajwadi Party had later distanced itself from its leader Swami Prasad Maurya’s offensive remarks against the Ramcharitmanas.
