On Swami Prasad Maurya's ‘Anti-Hindu’ Comment, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav 'In Control Of Situation'

The Samajwadi Party’s strategy to woo the Brahmin community for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections appears to have hit a roadblock. Swami Prasad Maurya, the SP leader, has once again courted controversy for a controversial statement about the Hindu faith. In a video posted earlier on X (formerly Twitter), Maurya labelled Hinduism as nothing but a hoax. Before that, he also criticised a few verses from the Ramcharitmanas saying they were “insulting to society on the basis of caste”. He demanded the verses be banned.

It came as no surprise that Swami Maurya’s recent comments became a major point of discussion during the Maha Brahmin Samaj Panchayat held at the state headquarters of the party on Sunday. Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met several Maha Brahmin Samaj leaders and representatives, who disapproved of Swami Prasad Maurya’s remarks on behalf of the Prabuddha Sabha and the Prabuddha Samaj of Kannauj. They also asked Akhilesh Yadav to take appropriate measures to ensure such comments aren’t repeated.

Leaders attributed the underperformance of the Samajwadi Party in the 2022 assembly elections to the disparaging comments of Swami Maurya against Hinduism. Reports said that after listening to everyone, the SP chief said that there should be no comment on religion and caste on behalf of the party. Akhilesh promised to have the situation under control.

SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan said that Akhilesh Yadav has clearly said in the Brahmin conference that there should be no rhetoric on caste and religion. Samajwadi Party never does politics of religion or caste, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has taken on the Samajwadi Party because of the supposed ‘anti-Hindu’ comments. BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said that Swami Prasad Maurya is making such comments on the instructions of the party chief.

Meanwhile, just a day after Akhilesh’s promise to control the situation, Swamy Prasad Maurya addressed the Bahujan Samaj Rights Conference organised at Jantar Mantar on Monday and said that Hinduism is not a religion but a farce and a source of business for some. Dimple Yadav, wife of Akhilesh Yadav and a Member of Parliament, responded to Maurya’s remark, saying her party does not agree with him.