Ramcharitmanas row: Steadfast SP sends another message by expelling two upper caste leaders

Not once has the party’s leadership, all the way up to its chief Akhilesh Yadav, contradicted Maurya, since he stirred up the hornet’s nest. Instead, in trying to cover all bases, the SP has been saying that Maurya’s remarks are his personal opinion. While Akhilesh has said he “doesn’t agree” with Maurya, the SP promoted him to thte important post of national general secretary soon after. Akhilesh also indicated which way he leaned by saying he would ask Maurya to join its campaign for a caste-based census in UP.

Many in the SP were initially surprised that Akhilesh did not criticise Maurya, who also slammed religious seers for “threatening” him after his remarks. On February 8, he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding removal or modification of some verses of the epic, which according to him “disrespect 97 per cent of the country’s population”.

However, the message is now clear that, in a state where most caste groups, including chunks of the SP’s core vote banks, have migrated to the BJP for its overt Hindutva, the SP hopes to wean back the OBCs and Dalits by engaging the BJP over its alleged upper caste bias.

The criticism of Maurya’s remarks from within the SP ranks, that had been gathering steam, might also die down now. Richa Singh, the SP candidate from Allahabad West in the 2022 Assembly polls, and Agra-based Roli Tiwari Mishra, who were expelled by the party Thursday for “indiscipline”, are both upper caste leaders. SP national spokesperson Rajendra Choudhary indicated that the action against them was provoked by their statements against Maurya on social media, officially saying: “We will give the exact reason later.”

A senior leader in the SP said the action was also due to the two not attending party events, and not renewing their party membership. “It was overdue. The two had been openly challenging Maurya and indulging in other anti-party activities. The trigger for their expulsion was their social media attacks on Maurya,” said the leader, wishing to remain anonymous.

Announcing the expulsion of the two leaders, the SP advised its leaders and spokespersons to avoid comments on “religious issues” and focus on “basic issues of the people like unemployment and price rise”.

Other SP leaders who have expressed unhappiness with Maurya’s remarks include Gauriganj MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh and the party’s Assembly chief whip, Manoj Kumar Pandey (Unchahar MLA). At a recent religious event in his constituency, Singh called Maurya “deranged” and said it was “unfortunate that he (Maurya) is in the SP”. Pandey has praised the Ramcharitmanas, calling it “a granth, followed by people across the world”. “It teaches us moral values,” he said.

On Friday, after the SP action against Richa Singh and Roli Mishra, Pandey refused any comment on the matter. “You must have seen the party’s statement, directing all leaders and workers to desist from commenting on religion,” he said.

Asked about the expulsion of the two leaders, Pandey, a Brahmin, said, “If the top leadership of the party takes a decision, no one can have a different stand on it. Everyone has to follow what the party does and decides.”

MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh didn’t answer calls from The Indian Express.

Reacting to her expulsion, Richa Singh took a potshot at Akhilesh, tweeting that “she has heard that the expulsion of the women is being done by him when he is in London”. (The SP chief is often attacked by his opponents of spending long durations in the UK capital.)