Hyderabad: A shocking incident has come to light, that too on live television, where a Hindutva foot-soldier attacked a rationalist repeatedly using his footwear.
The topic of the debate was “religion or politics” and the focus of the debate was on how the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was using Hindu mythological figures for political gains.
There were five people in the debate panel, including the anchor. One of them was Vijaya Viharam Editor Ramana Murthy, who is also the national secretary of Jai Bharat Foundation, a non-governmental organisation which has been working on educational development, rural empowerment and social welfare.
The other three were Kashyap Reddy, who wore a scarf around his neck that read “Dharmaveer.” The rest included a representative from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Hindu Jana Shakti.
Debate on religion and politics turns violent
At the beginning of the debate, the anchor poses the question point-blank, asking whether it was fair to use religion for political gain. Ramana Murthy was given the opportunity to express his opinion first.
Murthy drew the attention of the viewers to 1984, when the BJP had first taken up the issue of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
“Baba Lal Das, the chief priest of the Ram Mandir, had alleged back then that the BJP was using Lord Ram and the temple for political gains. He had alleged that between 1989 and 1990, donations amounting to Rs 2 crore had come from Germany, while the Dalmias and the Tatas had made significant donations to the temple. He also said that golden bricks were donated to the temple, which were misused and siphoned off,” Murthy explained, showing the picture of Lal Das.
“Mahant Gyan Das, who was the priest of Hanuman Garhi in Ayodhya, had made similar allegations of misusing temple donations. In 1991, after Kalyan Singh became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Lal Das was removed from his position. He had also challenged it in court. But in 1993, he was murdered,” Murthy said, also reminding that Lal Das had openly stated that 50 to 60 priests were murdered in a similar way in Ayodhya (when he was still alive).
Coming back to the point of discussion and relating it to the present day politics, Murthy pointed out how during a rally in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh recently, a man impersonating Lord Hanuman was made to carry a BJP flag and dance in front of an open-top jeep on which the saffron party’s national president, Nitin Nabin, was standing and waving to the crowds, even as flowers were being showered on him.
Murthy said that it was not an isolated incident that hurt the religious feelings of Hindus. He showed a painting shared by a BJP Mahila Karyakartha on X, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi could be seen showing the way to Lord Ram. He showed another picture where Lord Ram could be seen leaning on Modi from behind, as if he was taking his support.
“They depicted Lord Ram as someone who relied on Narendra Modi, as if the almighty was weak,” he noted.
The standoff began when he showed a news clipping of the portrait of Shri Krishna Dasavatharam (Sri Krishna’s Vishwaroopam), which was presented by BJP workers to Modi during his recent visit to Hyderabad.
Lord Krishna shows his Vishwaroopam to Arjuna in the Mahabharata war between Pandavas and Kauravas, while reciting the Bhagwad Gita, to convince him to fight for dharma. The Vishwaroopam is Krishna’s 10 incarnations, with one body having 10 heads, with each head representing a particular incarnation of Lord Krishna in different “yugs,” or eras.
Ramana Murthy said that in the Vishwaroopam portrait presented to Modi by BJP workers, Lord Krishna’s “Talakaya,” which translates into English as “head,” was replaced by Modi’s head.
Slipper assault on live television
All of a sudden, Kashyap Reddy, who was offended by the reference to Lord Krishna’s “head” as “head,” rose in rage and said that using the word “talakaya” was derogatory to Lord Krishna.
Murthy politely told him that he could use the platform to express his opinion when his turn would come to speak.
However, Reddy, who was seemingly drunk on power, warned Murthy that he would be beaten with slippers.
A composed Murthy told him to hit him and offered his cheek. Kashyap Reddy launched two slaps on Murthy’s left side of the face with his slippers and continued to do so for several seconds, before the anchor came to Murthy’s rescue and pushed Reddy away.
Even then, Reddy didn’t stop. He continued pointing his finger as if he was warning Murthy of dire consequences for using the word “talakaya” while referring to Lord Krishna.
The live streaming of the debate was stalled for a while and was again resumed after removing an irrational and uncivilised person from the debate.
Murthy reminded the anchor of a similar incident in a previous debate, where Kashyap Reddy, who had come with another Hindutva foot soldier, had warned him in front of the camera of dire consequences. At that time, Reddy’s abusive language was muted during the debate.
Police complaint, widespread condemnation
Ramana Murthy said that as a citizen, he was left with only one option to file a police complaint against Reddy. He also said that he was suffering from a severe health condition concerning his neck, for which he has been getting treated, and that the repeated assault only further deteriorated his condition.
As the incident of the attack against Murthy went viral on social media on Wednesday, July 15, sympathies poured in from various quarters in support of the rationalist.
“I appreciate the non-violent parliamentary stand taken by Murthy garu. I express my solidarity and support to you as this person is a threat to you and society,” said Congress leader and social activist Dr Lubna Sarwath.
Rural Social Development Society founding president, journalist and advocate Peddalingannagari Prasad (Palleturu Prasad) also strongly condemned the attack on Ramana Murthy, terming it as not just an attack on an individual, but on the Constitution.
Demanding that the state government immediately arrest Kashyap Reddy, he appealed to all humanists to unite against such fascist, communal and divisive forces.
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