Ramcharitmanas written in mosque: RJD MLA’s bizarre claim draws BJP’s ire

New Delhi: Ritalal Yadav, a legislator of Lalu Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) sparked off controversy on Friday by making bizarre claims on Hindu scripture Ramcharitmanas.

The RJD MLA from Danapur, while speaking to newsmen in Patna, said that the Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas was written in a mosque.

The legislator apparently made the remarks while attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its Hindutva politics.

The controversial remark on the Hindu epic comes months after another party leader & minister in Nitish cabinet Chandrashekhar made offensive remarks against the book.

What RJD MLA said on Ramcharitmanas

Ritalal Yadav, said to be a RJD strongman made the controversial remarks while accusing the BJP of polarizing people on communal lines to cultivate its vote bank.

“If the BJP is so dedicated to Hindus, it should cancel the membership of all its Muslim members,” he said.

बिहार: RJD विधायक रीतलाल यादव का विवादित बयान, कहा- ‘कहा है कि राम चरित्र मानस ग्रंथ मस्जिद में बैठकर लिखा गया था। क्या उस दिन हमारा हिंदुत्व खतरे में नहीं था’ ? pic.twitter.com/GFMJS0wlzc

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He said that the saffron party was driving a wedge in society by putting one religion against other.

“The party brags about Ram Mandir. But, history shows that Ramcharitmanas was written in a mosque, didn’t the Hindutva was in danger then? When an 11-year-old girl did Bhagwat Katha, was Hindutva in danger then?, the RJD MLA said.

The BJP has reacted sharply over RJD MLA’s remarks while another Mahagathbandhan constituent JD(U) distanced itself from the statement, terming it an his personal views.

Months ago, Chandrashekhar stoked a major row after he termed the holy book as ‘garbage’ and something that ‘spreads hatred in society’. This had triggered outrage in the Hindu outfits & BJP, which demanded the minister be sacked for insulting Hindu religion & its deities.

Then also, the JD(U) had distanced itself from the matter and had termed it an internal matter of its coalition partner RJD.