"We must respect, worship and honour our wife..." SP leader after courting controversy

New Delhi [India], November 13 (ANI): Hours after courting controversy through his remarks asking people to worship their wives instead of Hindu Goddess Lakshmi on Diwali, Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya on Monday said that in real sense, 'Ghar ki Lakshmi' is our wife and that we must honour her.
The Samajwadi Party earlier in the day shared images, on his X handle, of him 'worshipping' his wife. In his social media post, he also questioned the birth of Goddess Lakshmi asking "How can Lakshmi be born with four hands?", a remark which drew ire from people.
Responding to it, he said as per our culture we must respect, worship and honour our wife.
"In the real sense, your wife is your 'Ghar ki Laxmi', as the manner in which she manages the household, worries about it and works towards its maintenance and prosperity - nobody else can do it...So, when she is the real 'Grih Laxmi', why the objection to worshipping her? So, as per the culture of our country 'Yatra Naryastu Pujyante Ramante Tatra Devata'...as per our culture, we must respect, worship and honour our wife," Maurya said while speaking to ANI.
In a post on X, Swami Prasad Maurya said that every child born anywhere in the world has two hands, two legs, two ears, and two eyes and if a child with eight hands, and ten hands has not been born till now, how can goddess Lakshmi be born with four hands.
"While worshipping and honouring wife on the occasion of Deepotsav, I say that every child born in every religion, caste, race, colour and country of the whole world has two hands, two legs, two ears, two eyes and a nose with two holes. There is only a head, stomach and back. If a child with four hands, eight hands, ten hands, twenty hands and a thousand hands has not been born till date, then how can Lakshmi be born with four hands?" Swami Prasad said on X.
"If you want to worship Goddess Lakshmi, then worship and respect your wife who is a goddess in a true sense because she fulfils the responsibility of nurturing, happiness, prosperity, food and care of your family with great devotion," he added.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam criticised the SP leader for his remarks saying Swami Maurya must be banned from speaking
"Swami Prasad Maurya has got verbal diarrhoea. He needs treatment. I will ask Yogi Adityanath to put a ban on Maurya speaking" Acharya Pramod said. (ANI)