Parliament building inauguration: Why only south Indian Brahmin seers at event, asks SP’s Maurya

In a tweet, Maurya wrote, “It is extremely unfortunate that only radical Brahmin gurus of the South were called in the establishment of the Sengol sceptre. If the BJP government had faith in India as a secular sovereign nation, then all the religious leaders of the country, such as Buddhist monks, Jain sages, Guru Granthis, Muslim religious leaders Maulana, Christian religious leaders etc should have been invited. By not doing so, BJP has shown its disgusting thinking. Although the BJP government is going on the path of monarchy by establishing the Sengol sceptre, it is also trying to establish Brahminism by calling the Brahmin religious leaders of the South.”

Maurya, an other backward class (OBC) leader, has been a vocal critic of the BJP and triggred a row in January after he said that the Ramcharitmanas written by Tuslidas has “objectionable language” against women, Dalits, tribals and backward classes.

Speaking on Sunday afternoon, Maurya said, “No proposal was given by the government to invite religious leaders from different religions of the country for the programme. I had opposed the government’s decision that when India gives equal importance to all religions, then why were religious leaders from one varna (sect) from south were invited. What was the objective for this? When did the sengol become a symbol of the country. Then, all religious leaders should have been called for its establishment. For that, why were Brahmins from south India invited? Why not Brahmins from the north and the rest of India? Why were religious leaders of Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Christianity not invited? We say big things about equality of religion, but when the time to give respect comes, only one section is given priority by the BJP. The Brahmin leaders of south India are considered radical. By only inviting south Indian Brahmin seers, the BJP wants to establish Brahminism in India once again, which is very condemnable and shows the BJP’s thinking which is full of hatred.”

“After I tweeted about this, the BJP government rushed to call other religious leaders. But at the programme at 7.30 am, there were no other religious leaders present. The BJP government realised their mistake and invited all religious leaders (later). But it shows their thinking which is full of hatred and it has been exposed in front of the public,” he added.