Hinduism is not a religion but "a deception", Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya has said, inviting the ire of some seers in Haridwar who accused him of making such remarks for publicity and threatened to blacken his face.
Addressing a gathering in Delhi on Monday, Maurya said, "Hinduism is a deception (dhokha)... RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat has twice said that there is no religion called Hinduism... it is a way of life. 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...," the SP leader added.
Reacting to Maurya's comment, Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri Maharaj said they would be forced to blacken his face if the SP leader did not desist from making such remarks.
"Maurya has become active after 2014. He keeps abusing the BJP and the Sanatan Dharma. His sole purpose is to stay in the news by making such controversial remarks as the people have rejected him. The seers have tolerated him so far but if he does not restrain himself and abstain from insulting Hindus, his face will have to be blackened," Puri said.
Mahamandaleshwar Rupendra Prakash Maharaj said Maurya is mentally ill and has fallen victim to a foreign conspiracy against Hinduism. "Hindus will not tolerate it," he added.
Hindu Raksha Sena president Mahamandaleshwar Prabodhanand Maharaj said the SP leader has lost his mind.
"I am afraid, he might soon commit suicide. He thinks by issuing statements against Hindus, he will get the votes of non-Hindus but he is mistaken because people are not foolish," Prabodhanand added.
(Except for the headline, this story, from a syndicated feed, has not been edited by Odishatv.in staff)