Last Update: February 04, 2023, 14:13 IST
Swami Prasad Maurya, a prominent OBC leader from Uttar Pradesh, courted controversy after his comments on the text. (Photo: Twitter/@SwamiPMaurya)
Sanghamitra Maurya, MP from Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, was with the BJP. But his initial reaction to the Ramcharitmanas controversy last month was to defend his father, even as BJP leaders reprimanded him for the comments
Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya’s daughter Sanghamitra Maurya is expected to get a Lok Sabha ticket from the BJP in next year’s elections, despite the controversy triggered by her remarks on Ramcharitmanas.
The senior Maurya said in January that parts of the Hindu epic insulted Dalits and women, in a possible attempt to distance himself from the controversy, saying, “I have nothing to do with this debate.”
His comments drew a sharp reaction from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which Maurya quit last year to join Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party.
Sanghamitra Maurya, an MP from Budaun in Uttar Pradesh, had remained with the BJP.
But his initial reaction to the Ramcharitmanas controversy last month was to defend his father, even as BJP leaders reprimanded him for the comments. Sanghamitra Maurya then said that some parts of the Hindu epic should be debated.
But now he said that the matter should end.
“Everything is clear now. Why do you (the media) want to make so much noise over it?” Now end it. If you want to speak on any other subject, you can speak, I do not want to speak on this matter. I have nothing to do with this debate,” Sanghamitra Maurya told PTI.
On the question of contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on BJP ticket, she said, ‘I will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Badaun. I am working there continuously. I will contest the upcoming Loksabha election from Badaun on BJP ticket.
Swami Prasad Maurya, a prominent OBC leader in Uttar Pradesh, on January 22 alleged that some verses of the Ramcharitmanas – a 16th-century poem – “insult” a large section of society on the basis of caste and demanded that those be “banned”. ,
A cabinet minister in the previous BJP government in the state, he resigned and joined the SP ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Swami Prasad Maurya had contested the last state election from the Fazilnagar assembly seat in Kushinagar district, but was defeated.
Later, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav sent him to the Legislative Council.
An FIR was lodged against Swami Prasad Maurya at Hazratganj and PGI police stations in Lucknow for his controversial remarks on Ramcharitmanas.
Swami Prasad Maurya, who was recently appointed as the general secretary of the SP, had said that in some lines of Ramcharitmanas, if any section of the society is insulted on the basis of caste, varna and class, it is certainly not ‘religion’, it is There is ‘unrighteousness’.
He had said that in some lines the names of castes like ‘Teli’ and ‘Kumhar’ are mentioned.
Maurya had claimed that the sentiments of lakhs of people belonging to these castes have been hurt.
“Similarly, a ‘Chaupai’ (verse) in the Holy Scriptures says that women should be punished. It amounts to hurting the sentiments of women, who constitute half the population.”
Reacting sharply to Maurya’s remarks on the epic, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya alleged that he was speaking at the behest of his party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)