The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday booked Samajwadi Party MLC Swami Prasad Maurya for his remarks on the Hindu epic poem Ramcharitmanas, ANI reported.
The case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Shivendra Mishra, a resident of Lucknow.
On Sunday, Maurya had alleged that parts of the poem contained objectionable language about Dalits, Adivasis and backward classes. He had called for their removal.
“The government should take effective action and show sensitivity,” Maurya had told ANI. “It should see that the sentiments of any community are not hurt.”
Bharatiya Janata Party state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary had criticised Maurya, saying that “only an insane person can make such a comment”, according to The Indian Express. He had also asked the Samajwadi Party to clarify whether it was Maurya’s individual belief or of the party.
On its part, the Samajwadi Party had distanced itself from Maurya’s remarks, saying that they were personal.
The Uttar Pradesh Police have booked Maurya under provisions of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to hurting religious sentiments, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and statements aimed at creating enmity between classes, according to The Indian Express.
In his complaint, Mishra said that he had heard Maurya’s remark through the media.
“This statement will divide society on the basis of caste and religion and will lead to hatred between communities,” he said. “There is anger among people over the statements by Maurya.”
Maurya had joined the Samajwadi Party ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections. Prior to that, he was a Cabinet minister in the Aditynath government.
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