<p>Prominent seers in Ayodhya demanded on Wednesday that the Jawaharlal Nehru University vice-chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit be dismissed immediately, and a criminal case be registered against her for her alleged comments on Hindu gods.</p>.<p>Pandit, reportedly, had said that Hindu gods belonged to the lower castes, and that Lord Shiva might have hailed from a scheduled caste or scheduled tribe.</p>.<p>According to the seers, Pandit’s remarks had “hurt” the sentiments of millions of Hindus across the world; she must not be allowed to continue at her post and be jailed, they said.</p>.<p>“We will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demand her immediate dismissal…we also appeal to the Hindu outfits to hold demonstrations in every district in the country against her,” Raju Das, the mahant (chief priest) of Hanumangarhi Temple in Ayodhya, said.</p>.<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/no-god-is-a-brahmin-jnu-vc-explains-anthropological-origins-of-god-after-rajasthan-dalit-boys-death-1138306.html" target="_blank">No god is a brahmin: JNU VC explains anthropological origins of god after Rajasthan Dalit boy's death</a></strong></p>.<p>Another seer, Jagadguru Paramhansacharya of Tapasvi Chavni, said that gods could not be divided on the basis of castes. “Gods have no caste...they belong to everyone. Pandit, it appears, has no knowledge about Sanatan Dharma...she should read the Vedas (Hindu scriptures),” Paramhansacharya said.</p>.<p>The seer also threatened to launch a nationwide agitation if the JNU VC was not dismissed and prosecuted for her remarks. “We will not tolerate humiliation and derogatory remarks for our gods,” he said.</p>.<p>“JNU has been a den of anti-national elements; such mentality must be dealt with sternly...such remarks are aimed at gaining cheap popularity,” said another seer from Ayodhya.</p>.<p>Apparently, Pandit had said that “from an anthropological viewpoint” the Hindu gods did not hail from the upper castes. “Even Lord Shiva may be from SC or ST community,” she had said.</p>.<p>The JNU VC had also said that according to the Hindu scripture Manusmriti, all women hailed from ‘shudra’ (a lower caste) community. She explained that women got the upper caste status only after they married someone from the upper caste.</p>
<p>Prominent seers in Ayodhya demanded on Wednesday that the Jawaharlal Nehru University vice-chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit be dismissed immediately, and a criminal case be registered against her for her alleged comments on Hindu gods.</p>.<p>Pandit, reportedly, had said that Hindu gods belonged to the lower castes, and that Lord Shiva might have hailed from a scheduled caste or scheduled tribe.</p>.<p>According to the seers, Pandit’s remarks had “hurt” the sentiments of millions of Hindus across the world; she must not be allowed to continue at her post and be jailed, they said.</p>.<p>“We will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demand her immediate dismissal…we also appeal to the Hindu outfits to hold demonstrations in every district in the country against her,” Raju Das, the mahant (chief priest) of Hanumangarhi Temple in Ayodhya, said.</p>.<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/no-god-is-a-brahmin-jnu-vc-explains-anthropological-origins-of-god-after-rajasthan-dalit-boys-death-1138306.html" target="_blank">No god is a brahmin: JNU VC explains anthropological origins of god after Rajasthan Dalit boy's death</a></strong></p>.<p>Another seer, Jagadguru Paramhansacharya of Tapasvi Chavni, said that gods could not be divided on the basis of castes. “Gods have no caste...they belong to everyone. Pandit, it appears, has no knowledge about Sanatan Dharma...she should read the Vedas (Hindu scriptures),” Paramhansacharya said.</p>.<p>The seer also threatened to launch a nationwide agitation if the JNU VC was not dismissed and prosecuted for her remarks. “We will not tolerate humiliation and derogatory remarks for our gods,” he said.</p>.<p>“JNU has been a den of anti-national elements; such mentality must be dealt with sternly...such remarks are aimed at gaining cheap popularity,” said another seer from Ayodhya.</p>.<p>Apparently, Pandit had said that “from an anthropological viewpoint” the Hindu gods did not hail from the upper castes. “Even Lord Shiva may be from SC or ST community,” she had said.</p>.<p>The JNU VC had also said that according to the Hindu scripture Manusmriti, all women hailed from ‘shudra’ (a lower caste) community. She explained that women got the upper caste status only after they married someone from the upper caste.</p>
