Ramcharitmanas Row: VHP demands de-recognition of Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janta Dal

On February 2, 2023, Shri Alok Kumar, Central Working President of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), sought an appointment with the Chief Election Commissioner of India and requested to cancel the registration of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD).

“VHP wishes to draw the attention of the CEC to Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act 1951 which requires that the memorandum of each registered political party to have a specific provision that the party shall bear true faith and allegiance including to the principles of secularism and democracy,” the organisation said in a statement.

“The recent statements of Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya disparaging the Ramcharitmanas and the burning of its pages by his supporters are deliberate and malicious acts of outraging the religious feelings of a vast sections of the citizens of India. The fact that Maurya has immediately after making the statements has been promoted to the office of General Secretary of the Party proves that his statement had the support of the whole Party,” the statement claimed.

Similarly, the statements made by Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader Dr Chadrashekhar demanding a ban on Ramcharitmanas and his deliberate and malicious criticism of Manas and other holy books is calculated to cause outrage and an attempt to create mistrust and division between different sections of Hindu society. The RJD has taken no action against the said person as proving thereby that the statement has the Party’s support, he added.

The VHP refers to the controversy that sparked after Bihar Minister and RJD leader Chandrashekhar said that Ramcharitmanas “spreads hatred in society”.

The VHP statement also said that the SP and RJD had violated the basic conditions upon which the parties were registered and had become liable for the withdrawal of their registration.

In a video statement, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain also criticised both parties.

“These parties should not be given the opportunity to contest elections after creating animosity in the society and making use of political favours from it,” Jain said.