RJD MLA sparks row with ‘Ramcharitmanas was written in mosque’ remark

Patna: Months after Bihar Education Minister Chandra Shekhar Yadav triggered a controversy by saying that Ramcharitmanas “spreads hatred in the society”, another RJD leader and MLA from Danapur, Ritlal Yadav, sparked a row on Friday by claiming that the epic poem was written by Tulsidas in a mosque.

Attacking BJP, Ritlal Yadav said: “BJP leaders are always talking about Ram temple, but do they know where Ramcharitmanas was written? If you go back in history, you will find that the writer sat in a mosque and wrote Ramcharitmanas. Was Hindutva not under threat at that time? When the Mughals ruled India for many years, was Hindutva not under threat?

“An 11-year-old daughter of a Muslim family recited Bhagavad Gita and won a prize. People should learn from her.”

Following his remarks, BJP leaders accused the RJD leader of appeasement politics.

“Tejashwi Yadav’s closest MLA Ritlal Yadav says Ramcharitmanas was written in a mosque. The RJD MLA is ready to become a Muslim by abusing Hinduism. Hindutva is definitely under threat from those Hindus who wear caps and offer namaaz,” said Nikhil Anand, national General Secretary of BJP’s OBC wing.

BJP spokesperson and senior leader Arvind Kumar Singh said: “RJD and Mahagathbandhan leaders have only one job, which is to insult Ramayana, Hindu people and Hindu culture. They are the people who opposed the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

“Everyone knows that Valmiki wrote Ramayana, and Tulsidas wrote Ramcharitmanas. Those who are making derogatory remarks on Ramcharitmanas must have passed out of Charwaha school of which Tejashwi Yadav was the headmaster. RJD leaders are busy doing Muslim appeasement.”

Reacting to the Ritlal Yadav’s remarks, RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari said, “I don’t know under what circumstance or context he made the remark. But our leader Tejashwi Yadav and the RJD believe that the Constitution is the biggest holy book of the country.”