News Brief
SP Leadership Openly Siding With Swami Prasad Maurya On Ramcharitmanas Row? Women Leaders Who Opposed Maurya Suspended From Party
Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav with Swami Prasad Maurya (Source: @SwamiPMaurya)
The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Thursday (16 February) expelled two of its woman leaders over “indiscipline” after they criticised controversial leader Swami Prasad Maurya over his remarks on the Ramcharitmanas.
Those expelled include Dr Richa Singh, SP’s candidate from Allahabad West in the last elections, and Roli Tiwari Mishra, SP spokesperson hailing from Agra.
The move was announced by the party in a tweet posted on Thursday morning. Both Dr Richa Singh and Roli Mishra took to Twitter to express their displeasure.
After the recent controversy created by the burning of the copies of Ramcharitmanas by supporters of Swami Prasad Maurya and his controversial remarks over the epic, several fellow SP leaders took offence to the act.
Maurya, meanwhile, has defended his remarks and toned down his rhetoric upon facing backlash from various sections and disaffection within his own party.
He recently said that his comments were not against Lord Ram or the entire text of the Ramcharitmanas, but against some sections which are offensive.
He further sought a ban on the offensive portions of the text. On 16 February, he came to blows with a seer at a hotel in Ayodhya over his remarks.
Maurya, currently a Member of Legislative Council, is now facing an investigation after an FIR was registered against him under Sections 295A (deliberate act to outrage religious feelings), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 153A (attacks upon religion, race, place of birth, etc).
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