"Would continue to protest disrespect in religion's name" says Swami Prasad Maurya

New Delhi [India], January 29 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) MLC Swami Prasad Maurya on Sunday tweeted that he will continue to protest against the conspiracy of insulting the Adivasis, women and Dalits in the name of religion.
In his tweet, the SP leader stated, "I will continue to oppose the conspiracy to humiliate tribals, Dalits-backwards and women in the name of religion, just as an elephant does not change its gait due to barking of dogs, in the same way, I will not change my point until they are given their duly respected."
Earlier this month, the SP leader sparked a major controversy after he demanded the deletion of "insulting comments and sarcasm" targeted at particular castes and sects in Ramcharitmanas, a poem based on the epic Ramayana.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav was received with black flags, when he participated in the Maa Pitambara 108 Mahayagya on the banks of the Gomti in Daliganj on Saturday, to protest against his party leader Swami Prasad Maurya's statement on Ramcharitmanas.
Yadav alleged that the ruling BJP considers Dalits and Backwards castes as Shudra and said that the BJP is setting a bad precedent by disturbing programmes. Yadav told the mediapersons, "BJP people consider Dalits as Shudra. They consider us backwards and Dalits as Shudras (untouchable)."
"I respect all religions. But if in the name of religion, a community or caste is humiliated, then it is objectionable," Yadav said.
On January 24, an FIR was lodged at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow on the basis of a complaint by one Shivendra Mishra against the SP leader.
On January 27, Maurya on his recent remark said, "I respect all religions. I merely objected to certain verses in Ramcharitmanas which hurts the sentiments of 97 per cent of Hindus. Those verses reflect poorly on our own religion. They also advocate killing women and the Shudras. This is nothing but abuse and no religion should stand for such abuse and insult."
"I just sought the deletion of a few lines that are disrespectful of women, Adivasis and the Dalits. All communities are being disrespected in the state since the SP was voted out of power. After the BJP came to power, 5, Kalidas Marg (the CM's official residence in Lucknow) was cleansed with Gangajal (water from River Ganga)," added Maurya. (ANI)