“What if same happened with other religion?”: Yogi Adityanath thrashes Samajwadi Party over Ramcharitmanas row

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on February 25 attacked the Samajwadi Party in the state assembly over Ramcharitmanas row. He asked, “What would have happened if scriptures of other religions and faith were insulted?”

Yogi accused SP of attempting to insult the Hindu community in India and worldwide during recently concluded Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023 in Lucknow.

“The moment Global Investors Summit was about to begin, the Samajwadi Party started the Ramcharitmanas row. Some people tried to tear pages of Ramcharitmanas. What would have happened if the same thing would have happened with some other religion? Does it mean whoever wants to insult Hindus, can do it? You want to insult the entire Hindu community,” he said during his address in the ongoing Budget Session.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself read the line from Ramcharitmanas, on which unnecessary controversies were created by SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya.

While reading the verse from Ramcharitmanas, “Dhol Ganwar Shudra Pashu Nari Sakal Taadana Ke Adhikari, He said, “Tulsidas Ji was from Chitrakut, which comes under Bundelkhand region. In Budelkhand, the word ‘Taadan’ means taking care… Here, Dhol is instrument, Gavar means illiterate person, Shudra means labour class, which has nothing do with caste…..Even Ambedkar ji had also appealed not to call Dalit community Shudra. Your (SP) behavior towards Ambedkar is well known to the world. The names of the organisations after him were changed under your government….Nari means women…In medieval period when Ramcharitmanas was written, we all know what were the situation of Women then due to the then administration and Anarchism…we all know about this period.”

“Now tell me, are you not insulting the Hindus by burning the Ramcharitmanas?” he questioned Samajwadi Party.

Yogi’s remarks came after Samajwadi Party leader Swamy Prasad Maurya sparked a major controversy and demanded the omission of verse from Ramcharitmanas saying it hurts the sentiments of the Dalit community.