Lucknow: Months before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP launched a fierce attack on the Samajwadi Party after one of its then functionaries questioned certain couplets of the Ramcharitmanas. Now, just months before campaigning for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections begins, the SP is once again under fire from political rivals over its chief Akhilesh Yadav describing the epic as a 'form of cultural constitution'.
The Latest Controversy
The latest episode stems from a social media post by Akhilesh Yadav regarding police action during an anti-encroachment drive in Lucknow, where a lawyer holding a copy of the Ramcharitmanas was assaulted. The following day, SP functionary Puja Shukla visited the lawyer at a city hospital and presented him with a copy of the epic. Akhilesh posted a photograph of the lawyer receiving the Ramcharitmanas, describing it as 'a form of cultural constitution which is righteous code of conduct'.
Political Reactions
In political circles, Akhilesh's description is seen as a shift from the 2023 controversy when then SP national general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya questioned certain couplets of the epic, demanding that the BJP government remove verses he deemed derogatory towards women, Dalits, and backward classes. At that time, Akhilesh maintained a studied silence and was said to have expressed displeasure with Maurya for triggering a row. The BJP accused Akhilesh of orchestrating the controversy to appease Muslims.
Within the SP, the common perception is that Akhilesh's stance on the Ramcharitmanas has remained consistent. A senior SP functionary explained, "Swami Prasad Maurya was unhappy over the party leadership not backing him through the row. He eventually resigned from SP."
BJP's Counter
Describing the move as an attempt to use religious symbolism for political survival after repeated electoral defeats, UP BJP spokesperson Hero Bajpai said the opposition was now forced to take shelter behind the Ramcharitmanas. "These are the same people who once denied Lord Ram and questioned his existence. Those associated with firing on Ram Temple supporters are today reciting the Ramcharitmanas, organising community feasts and trying to convince society that they are not anti-Hindu," Bajpai said. He asserted that the people of UP are watching closely and predicted a landslide victory for the BJP in the 2027 assembly elections under the leadership of PM Modi and CM Yogi Adityanath.
BSP and Congress Stances
State president of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Vishwanath Pal, declined to comment on what he termed as 'Dharmik Rajneeti' (politics of religion). Meanwhile, the Congress, seen as a potential alliance partner for the SP in the 2027 polls, supported Akhilesh's stance. UPCC chief Ajay Rai said, "Ramcharitmanas is a reflection of Indian society and Sanatan philosophy. Our way of life originates from it." He added that Akhilesh's statement resonates with those knowledgeable about the epic and cautioned against politicising religious issues.
