Ramcharitmanas row: Controversy over certain verse 5,000 years old, says Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said he is not against Ramcharitmanas but asserted that the controversy over a certain verse of the Hindu epic is "5,000 years old".

During the budget discussion in Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Yadav said, "We are not against Ramcharitmanas. Why do you do 'prachar'. God is for all and not for any one (person). You take donations (for the construction of Ram temple) so has God become yours. But whatever is wrong is wrong."

Mentioning the word 'tadan' in one of the verses of Ramcharitmanas, he said, "If you make one person stand to know what is the meaning of 'tadan', then we can also make 10 stand about this. Will you make anyone stand up and explain the meaning of 'tadan'? You tell what the situation is in UP."

While reciting a poem by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar on the issue, Yadav said, "This fight is not of today. This fight is 5,000 years old."

"I did not ask about Ramcharitmanas. I had said that the Leader of the House should tell what is a 'Shudra'. If this 'Shudra' does not become your shield, then you could not have come to power."

Yadav was mentioning a verse "Dhol, ganwar, shudra, pashu, naari, sakal tadan ke adhikari" on which a controversy erupted last month after SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya alleged that certain verses of the Ramcharitmanas “insult” a large section of society on the basis of caste and demanded that these be “banned”.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday accused Samajwadi Party of humiliating 100 crore Hindus by burning a copy of Ramcharitmanas.

Adityanath, explaining the verse, which was described as objectionable by SP leader Maurya, had said that 'tadan' meant 'dekhbhal' (caring).

Reacting on an alleged comment by Adityanath, Yadav said, "if a person speaks about someone's father, then the other can also do so. But I will not do so as 'Netaji' (Mulayam Singh Yadav) has not given such values to me."

Ramcharitmanas, an epic poem in Awadhi language, is based on the Ramayana and has been composed by 16th-century Bhakti poet Tulsidas.