‘Sonia Gandhi's puppet': BJP on Swami Prasad Maurya's 'Hindu deception' remark

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted angrily to Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya's ‘Hinduism is deception’ remark on Tuesday, saying such a person cannot be an Indian citizen. The party also called the SP leader a puppet of Akhilesh Yadav and Sonia Gandhi.

"In UP, SP leader, Swami Prasad Maurya, has again insulted Hindus. I believe that he is just a puppet in the hands of SP president, Akhilesh Yadav, and Sonia Gandhi. I request that UP CM Yogi Adityanath immediately register an FIR against (Akhilesh) Yadav and take strict action against him,” said BJP MP Subrat Pathak.

Union minister and BJP leader Narayan Rane said such a person cannot be a citizen of India. "We can't tolerate when someone says something about our religion," he added.

Maurya, known for making controversial remarks, was seen in a video claiming there is no religion called Hinduism.

"The roots of Brahminism are very deep and the reason for all the disparity is also Brahminism. There is no religion called Hindu; Hinduism is just a deception. There is a conspiracy to trap the Dalits, tribals and backward people of this country by calling the same Brahmin religion as Hindu religion," he had said.

He further claimed similar statements had been made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

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"In 1955, the Supreme Court said in its order that Hindu is not a religion but a way of life. It is a conglomeration of more than 200 religions. Even Mohan Bhagwat had said, not once but twice, that Hindu is not a religion but a way of life. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also said that Hindu is not a religion. Even Gadkari had said the same thing in a media conclave," he said on Monday.

"But when they say these, no one's sentiments get hurt but when Swami Prasad Maurya says that Hindu is not a religion but a betrayal (dhokha) and what we refer to as Hindu religion is a business for some people, the whole country is hit by a storm," Maurya said.

BJP leader Keshav Prasad Maurya said such remarks would worsen the party's situation in UP.

"Once upon a time, they were ruling the entire state; now look at the situation they have reached today. There was a time when they were in such good condition, now they have deteriorated to a great extent," he said.

BJP leader Amit Malviya said: “After DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin vowed to annihilate Sanatan Dharma, it is now SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya, who spews venom on Hinduism. Why are I.N.D.I Alliance leaders targeting the Hindus? Why haven’t Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi condemned these hate speeches, so far?”

With inputs from ANI, PTI