Former Chief Minister of Bihar Jitan Ram Manjhi has reignited a controversy by questioning the authenticity of Ramcharitmanas and Ramayana, which have been the subject of criticism by several parties from UP and Bihar like Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Jitan Ram Manjhi has said that Ravan was more hardworking than Ram and injustice was done to Ravan in our mythologies.
On the issue of Hanuman Chalisa being read by BJP MLAs in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, he said that it is against parliamentary norms. In a conversation with media and reporters, Jitan Ram Manjhi said – this type of behavior should not happen in the assembly. He also called sloganeering on religious grounds in the assembly premises inappropriate.
On a question of the journalist regarding the reading of Hanuman Chalisa, he said – who says that Ravan was a demon. We say that Ravan was a scholar. He was really hardworking and injustice has been done to him in a way.
Jitan Ram Manjhi said that he considers Ram and Ravan to be imaginary. He said, “If we talk about the story, then Ravan was more hardworking than Ram. But the story is all fictional. We should talk about the poor. There should be the talk of eradicating poverty. If the story is to be told, Ravan was more hardworking than Ram. But, it is all imaginary. We do not believe in all this.”
He expressed doubts about the works of renowned poets, Valmiki and Goswami Tulasidas, and suggested that certain inaccuracies in the Ramayan and Ramcharitmanas need to be corrected.
