'What is wrong is wrong': Akhilesh Yadav seconds SP Maurya's remarks on Ramcharitmanas

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav spoke on the Ramcharitmanas controversy and claimed that he himself listens to bhajans every morning. He, however, said 'what is wrong is wrong', reiterating his party member SP Maurya's opinion that there are objectionable verses in the Hindu text. 

"Nobody has a complaint against Ramcharitmanas. I follow Lord Shree Ram. Yogi Ji, because of being a CM, might not be able to listen to Bhajans but to this day, I listen to Bhajans for an hour every morning," Yadav said while speaking to the media on Sunday, February 5. He even cited the example of Karn from Mahabharata saying that he faced extreme discrimination for being a 'shudra'.

Yadav's statements are in line with Maurya, who claimed that the Ramcharitmanas defames the lower castes as well as women and some of its verse must be changed. Since his controversial statements, FIRs have been filed against SP Maurya at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow and the Pashchim Vihar police station in New Delhi. The leader, however, has refused to apologise and continues to demand a ban or an amendment in the epic poem. 

"Have I said anything wrong that I will go back? I give respect to all religions, but no religion or anyone can have the permission to hurl abuses.... I have spoken about banning only a particular portion in which insulting comments have been made on women, tribals, Dalits and backward classes. I have spoken about removing only those parts of the 'chaupai", Maurya said after the first FIR was filed against him. "People are associating the comments with Lord Ram, God, religion and the Ramcharitmanas. This shows their narrow mindset," he told PTI.

UP CM hits back at Maurya

During an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network, UP CM Yogi Adityanath responded to the remarks on Ramcharitmanas and took a swipe at Maurya. "People who have no contribution to the development of Uttar Pradesh are deliberately raising this issue as there is a crisis of their identity. This type of problems and barriers have no entry in Uttar Pradesh," Yogi said. He also stated that “Sanatan Dharma is the national religion of India which every citizen must respect.”