Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya has ignited a controversy with his recent statement calling Hinduism a "dhokha" (deception) and not a religion. His remarks, supported by past comments from RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Hinduism being a way of life, have sparked widespread debate and criticism.
Hindu ek dhoka hai (Hindu religion is a betrayal), the controversial leader said at the National Buddhist and Bahujan Rights Conference in New Delhi on Monday. In the same breath, he tried to to justify his statement, citing views that Hinduism is a way of life.
In 1955, the Supreme Court, in its ruling, stated that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life, constituting a confluence of over 200 religions. This perspective has been reiterated by figures such as Mohan Bhagwat, who emphasized twice that Hinduism is a way of life, not a religion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also conveyed a similar sentiment, denying Hinduism's classification as a religion. This viewpoint was echoed by Nitin Gadkari in a media conclave, as mentioned by Maurya during his address at the National Buddhist and Bahujan Rights Conference in New Delhi on Monday. The Samajwadi Party leader questioned why no one’s sentiments get hurt when they say the same thing on Hinduism that he had said.
Maurya was quoted as saying, Hindu ek dhokha hai RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat has said twice that there is no religion called Hindu but instead, it is a way of living. Prime Minister Modi has also said that there is no Hindu religion. Sentiments don’t get hurt when these people make such statements but if Swami Prasad Maurya says the same, it causes unrest.
In a video circulating on social media, Maurya reportedly stated, Hinduism is not a religion. It is a Sanatani culture that has been created by the Brahmins for their own benefit. It is a dhokha.