Even before the Bhadrak unrest, that originated after defamatory Facebook posts on Lord Ram and Sita surfaced, has subsided completely, Union culture minister Mahesh Sharma triggered another controversy in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, stating that Sita is a matter of faith and there is no historical evidence that she existed.
The debate marked heated arguments with the Opposition members taunting the BJP-led government stating that Sita’s husband, Hindu god Ram, is a matter of faith too if the same logic is applied.
“We revere Lord Ram and the minister’s reply is disturbing. I condemn his reply,” Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said. The house demands an apology, he added. Janata Dal (United) parliamentarian Anil Kumar Sahani also joined the protest chorus by asking the government to apologise for insulting Sita and women in general.
Also Read: Anatomy of A Riot: How Bhadrak Was Thrown to the Wolves
The Bhadrak tension was fallout of some anti-social elements making defamatory comments about Lord Ram and Sita which led to the government clamping Section 144 and then declaring curfew in the town since five days.
“Your government has reached this place today on the back of the Ram movement and now you are saying that Sita is a matter of faith,” Congress leader Singh said.