A day after an FIR was registered against Samajwadi Party MLC and former Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maurya for remarks on Ramcharitmanas, his daughter and BJP MP Sanghmitra Maurya came out in his support and said there should be a healthy discussion on the points raised by her father about the Hindu religious text. “For a person, who believes in Lord Budha and accepted Lord Ram while he was in the BJP, my father has raised a doubt about a verse in Ramcharitmanas as it goes against the message of Ram. This is not a matter of debate or controversy but a matter of analysis,” said Sanghmitra who is an MP from Badaun. Sanghmitra told The Indian Express, “Everyone has the right to raise their doubts. If a young student expresses a doubt, their teachers and parents should clarify the doubts. In Ramcharitmanas, Lord Ram ate berries offered by Shabri without giving importance to her caste but in the next chaupai, her caste is described. If someone has raised a doubt, experts, intellectuals and scholars should discuss and analyse the doubt rather than hold debates in the media.” Asked about BJP leaders targeting her father, Sanghmitra said, “We are part of a government, which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who talks about 'Vasudev Kutumbhakam' i.e. one nation, one family. If we target someone in this manner then we would not be able to work in this direction. Bada dil karna padega…accept nahi kar payenge to PM ka sapne bhi nahi pura kar payenge (Everyone should try having a bigger heart, else we would not be able to fulfill the Prime Minister's dream).” Talking about Sanghamitra Maurya's statement, BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit chief Bhupendra Chaudhary said, “I do not know what she has said and will look into it but the party strongly feels that the statement made by Swami Prasad Maurya aims to create a divide. Moreover, we have faith in Lord Ram like many citizens of this country and thus condemn such divisive remarks. As for our MP remarks, we would look into it.” Last week, Maurya, an OBC leader, had backed the remarks made by Bihar Education Minister Chandra Shekhar, saying Ramcharitmanas, written by Goswami Tulsidas, has “objectionable language” for Dalits, tribals and backward class. Speaking to a news channel on Sunday, Maurya said: “Koi crore log isko nahi padhte. Sab bakwas hai. Yeh Tulsidas ne apni prashansa aur khushi ke liye likha hai. Dharm ho, hum uska swagat karte hain. Par dharm ke naam par gaali kyun? Dalit ko, adivasiyon ko, pichdon ko. Jaati lekar ke naam. Shudra keh kar ke, kyun gaali de rahe hain? Kya gaali dena dharm hai? (It is a lie that crores of people read it. It was written by Tulsidas for self-praise and his own happiness. We welcome religion. But why abuses in the name of religion? Abuse of Dalits, tribals, backwards, by naming their castes, and calling them shudra. Is giving abuses religious?).” He went on to add: “I respect all religions. But if in the name of religion, a community or caste is humiliated then it is objectionable. You talk of Ramayan written by Tulsidas. It is natural that there are some parts to which I have had an objection. I have said this in the past too. I will say again that no one has the right to abuse anyone in the name of religion. Either the parts where abuse is given to castes coming under the shudra category is banned, or the whole Ramayan should be banned.” While the Samajwadi Party (SP) has distanced itself from Maurya's remarks, the BJP has demanded his apology. The ruling BJP has also asked the SP to clarify whether it was Maurya’s individual belief or of the party, saying only an “insane” person can make such a comment. Deputy CM and BJP leader Keshav Prasad Maurya said “That (remarks on Ramcharitmanas) was not a statement of Swami Prasad Maurya. It was a statement of Akhilesh Yadav. said Swami Prasad is like a spokesperson of the SP. Akhilesh Yadav must clarify whether he is against or in support of the statement.” He demanded Maurya’s expulsion from the SP. Maurya switched to the BJP from the BSP ahead of the 2017 polls. Five years later, in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly elections, he moved to the SP. In the past also, Sanghmitra had come out in support of her father after he had joined the SP. Sanghmitra, who had then maintained that her professional and personal life were different, had decided to stay with the BJP.
