Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) of burning the holy book ‘Ramcharitmanas’ and humiliating crores of Hindus living in the country and around the world. The Chief Minister made the comments while discussing the motion of thanks on the address of Governor Anandiben Patel in the budget session of the Legislature.
Adityanath was responding to SP’s Legislative Council member Swami Prasad Maurya’s demand for a ban on a couplet in ‘Shri Ramcharitmanas’, which he termed as anti-Dalit and anti-women. The Chief Minister defended the text and explained its quadrupedalism, which Maurya had called objectionable.
The SP’s campaign against Sant Tulsidas and the holy book has drawn sharp reactions from the Sant Samaj and the BJP. Adityanath reminded the SP that Uttar Pradesh is the land of ‘Ram’ and ‘Krishna’ and where holy books like ‘Ramcharitmanas’ and ‘Valmiki Ramayana’ were composed. He asked if the SP was not humiliating 100 crore Hindus living in the country and the world by targeting these sacred texts.
The article highlights the ongoing controversy over the demand to ban a couplet in ‘Shri Ramcharitmanas’ and the reactions it has drawn from various quarters. It also covers the defense of the text by the Chief Minister and his accusation against the SP of disrespecting the holy book and humiliating Hindus.