Farrukhabad (UP), Oct 9 (PTI) Alleging that the Manusmriti “stirs the poison of casteism”, senior Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya has said if RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was opposed to the concepts of ‘varna’ and ‘jaati’, he should ensure a ban on the ancient text.
Addressing a programme at the Buddhist pilgrimage site of Sankisa here on Saturday evening, Maurya praised Bhagwat for his recent remarks that the concepts like ‘varna’ and ‘jaati’ (caste) should be completely discarded, but added “if he has the courage, then he should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other chief ministers to impose a ban on the Manusmriti.” The Manusmriti is a book that “stirs the poison of casteism”, he added.
Speaking at a book release function in Nagpur on October 7, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief said the caste system has no relevance now.
Citing the book that was released, “Vajrasuchi Tunk” written by Dr Madan Kulkarni and Dr Renuka Bokare, the RSS chief said social equality was a part of the Indian tradition, but it was forgotten and this led to damaging consequences.
Referring to the claim that the varna and caste systems originally did not have discrimination and had its uses, Bhagwat said if today someone asked about these institutions, the answer must be that “it is past, let’s forget it.” “Everything that causes discrimination should go out lock, stock and barrel,” he had said.
Samajwadi Party leader Maurya accused Prime Minister Modi of abolishing reservation for backward castes and claimed, “In the recruitment to posts of professors and other staffers in various medical colleges in the state, not a singe person from backward caste and Dalits were given a job.” “The government has abolished reservation and is exploiting the youth by giving them contractual jobs,” he alleged.
Maurya hailed Gautam Buddha as the first “dharma guru” of the world.
“Even today, Buddhist remains are retrieved during excavations in the US and Russia. In Ayodhya, remains of Buddha were found thrice, then the Centre stopped the excavation,” he claimed. PTI COR NAV SMN
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