Dalit, Muslim and now Jat: Lord Hanuman gets appropriated by a third BJP lawmaker

With the Lok Sabha polls nearing, it appears that politicians are not even sparing the Gods to spar over religious identity.

After Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath attributed caste to Lord Hanuman, saying that the God was a Dalit, and a BJP MLC Bukkal Nawab commented that Hanuman is a Muslim, now comes a third identity for the beloved deity from the Ramayana. 

Laxmi Narayan, an MLA from the Yogi Adityanath cabinet, has said that Hanuman is a Jat. "He joined Lord Ram as a servant, hence he has the characteristics of Jat, so I call him a Jat."

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During an election rally in Malakheda of Alwar district in Rajasthan in November, Yogi Adityanath had reportedly said, “Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. Bajrang Bali worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west”.

“Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit," the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister had told at a poll rally in Alwar.

“This was his resolve as it was Lord Ram’s wish. Just like him, we should also not rest till we fulfil that wish,” he had added.

READ: Legal Notice Sent To UP CM Yogi Adityanath For ‘calling Lord Hanuman A Dalit’

Later, on December 20, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Bukkal Nawabclaimed that the deity was a Muslim. Speaking to ANI, Nawab said that Muslim names are "almost similar" to those of Lord Hanuman.

"Humaara maanna hai ki Hanumanji musalmaan thhay. Issliye musalmaanon mein naam rakha jaata hai Rehman, Ramzam, Farman, Zeeshan, Qurbaan. Saare naam kareeb kareeb unke naam se miltey hain." 

(I believe that Lord Hanuman was a Muslim. That is why the names of the people in Islam is almost similar to Lord Hanuman, whether it is Rehman, Ramzan, Farman, Zeeshan and Qurban. These names somewhat matches with his name)," he had said.

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