Senior SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya stokes row, terms Ram Charit Manas 'anti-dalit'

SP leaders sought to distance themselves from Maurya's remarks saying that they were not in accordance with the party ideology

Within days of a Bihar minister's controversial remarks over 'Ram Charit Manas', former Uttar Pradesh minister and senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya also stoked a major controversy after he termed the Hindu epic 'anti-dalit' and demanded ban on it.

While the BJP has taken strong exception to Maurya's remarks and the saffron outfits staged protest demonstrations and even declared a reward to whosoever chopped his (Maurya) tongue, the SP, apparently embarrassed, sought to term the remarks as Maurya's personal opinion.

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''We respect all religions but there are certain lines in Ram Charit Manas which are anti-dalit...we can not accept it....we demand a ban on the epic,'' Maurya said.

BJP leader Aparna Bisht, who was the daughter-in-law of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, lashed out at Maurya over the remarks and said that the SP leader had only 'revealed' his own character. ''It seems Maurya has not read Ram Charit Manas.....he should read the epic before making much statement,'' she said here on Monday.

The All India Hindu Mahasabha workers burnt effigy of Maurya in Agra in protest against the remarks and demanded action against him. The Mahasabha general secretary Saurav Sharma declared a reward of Rs 51 thousand to whosoever 'chopped' tongue of Maurya.

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SP leaders also sought to distance themselves from the remarks saying that they were not in accordance with the party ideology. ''They (remarks) may be his personal opinion....the party has nothing to do with them,'' SP leader Ravidas Mehrotra here said.

According to the sources in the SP, party president Akhilesh Yadav had also expressed his serious displeasure over the remarks. ''Such remarks may adversely impact our electoral prospects in the state,'' said a senior SP leader.

Earlier Bihar education minister Chandra Shekhar had said that Ram Charit Manas promoted hatred and social discrimination.