‘Ramcharitmanas’ row the catalyst again as RJD-JD(U) tensions bubble up

This did not sit well with the JD(U), with party spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar telling The Indian Express on Wednesday, “I wonder what the point the education minister was trying to make. The minister has often quoted some lines (from Ramcharitmanas), especially ‘dhol, gawar, shudra, pashu, nari..’ For that matter, I can cite several controversial instances from the Quran and the Bible. I simply want to ask my RJD friend if the country is being run by the Constitution or by the Ramcharitmanas or any other religious text.”

Kumar said the RJD should discourage the minister from “raking up the irrelevant issue” again and again. “It is not a happy sign … there is no need to debate religious texts written thousands of years ago in different contexts and have different interpretations,” he said.

In response, Chandra Shekhar said, “What I had said on the Ramcharitmanas sparked a nationwide debate. I often quote Dr Rammanohar Lohia who said Ramcharitmanas has both jewels and garbage. There is a need to revisit the controversial texts.”

RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta defended the minister. “Why is the JD(U) overreacting to Chandra Shekhar’s posers? RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also talked along similar lines on controversial portions of the Ramayana and the Ramcharitmanas. There is an urgent need to take out controversial portions after debates and discussions.”

Asked about the JD(U) leader’s comment about controversial passages from the Quran and the Bible, Mehta said: “We are not stopping anyone from doing so (citing those passages). Chandrashekhar has taken up Ramcharitmanas, others can discuss other texts.”

The RJD leader said the BJP’s allegations about his party trying to “stir up caste tensions” by raking up the Ramcharitmanas row were irrelevant as “the RSS also thinks on similar lines”.

BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan hit out at the ruling parties. He said, “The RJD and the JD(U) as political organisations have thrived on political faultlines of society. Their only agenda is to divide and rule as can be seen through their political journeys. They often encourage caste-based agenda that can cause only social tension and rift in society … the present Ramcharitmanas row is another example of a manufactured controversy.”

After the controversy first erupted in January, the RJD steadfastly remained behind the minister but moderated its stance with party leader and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav underlining that “the party respects all religions, no party leader should fall into the BJP’s trap”. He also said the RJD holds the Constitution supreme.