Swami Prasad alleges attack by swords in Lucknow amid Ramcharitmanas row

Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya on Wednesday wrote to Lucknow Police Commissioner alleging that Mahant Raju Das, Mahant Paramhans Das of Tapaswi Chhawni Temple and their supporters tried to attack him with swords and 'pharsa' in the city.

This incident comes weeks after Maurya sparked a major controversy as he demanded the deletion of "insulting comments and sarcasm" targeted at particular castes and sects in Ramcharitmanas, a poem based on the epic Ramayana.

Maurya has written a letter to Lucknow Police Commissioner alleging that the incident took place when he was leaving a television show which was held at a private hotel in Lucknow.

Citing the attack, the SP leader also raised questions over the hotel security and sought additional security for himself.

He had earlier alleged that a bounty of Rs 21 lakh was announced by a seer to "behead" him over his 'Ramcharitmanas' remark.

"I was invited today on 15.02.2023 at 12.30 noon as a guest in Lucknow. Mahant Raju Das, Hanumangarhi, Ayodhya and Mahant Paramhans Das, Tapasvi, Chawni Mandir and some of their companions tried to attack me with sword and 'pharsa' while attending the said program and leaving the summit," Maurya wrote to the police commissioner.

The SP leader recounted the alleged bounty announced on him and alleged that inviting them (seers) at the television programme was part of a "strategy".

"After the intervention of the supporters, I reached home safely. An amount of Rs 21 lakh has also been announced by the said people to kill me in the past. Knowing this, calling them in this programme and calling them before their scheduled time and making them sit with weapons is also a planned strategy," he wrote.

On February 1, Maurya had said that a sadhu, who allegedly announced a bounty of Rs 21 lakh to "behead" him over his 'Ramcharitmanas' remark, was a "devil" as he "cut" his photo with a sword.

Taking to Twitter, Maurya said, "The arrogant, hypocrite, disguised babas who had announced to give Rs 21 lakh to those who behead me, the same baba cut the photo with a sword and confirmed that he is a devil." (roughly translated from Hindi)

Maurya had claimed that in the Ramcharitmanas, which was composed by Tulsidas, there are words hurting the sentiments of the Dalit community.

On January 30, Maurya has also taken a jibe at Mahant Raju Das by stating that he could have just cursed him instead of spending Rs 21 lakh to get him killed.

In his tweet, SP MLC Maurya stated, "A baba (seer) who claims to do the impossible is very popular nowadays. What kind of a baba are you? Despite having the most powerful back, you are offering a bounty to get me killed. You could have simply cursed. You could have also saved Rs 21 lakh and people could see your real face."

On January 28 too, the SP leader said he will continue to oppose the "conspiracy to humiliate tribals, Dalits-backwards and women" in the name of religion. "Just as an elephant does not change its gait due to barking of dogs, in the same way, I will not change my point until they are given their duly respected," he said in a tweet.