Controversy Erupts Over Swami Prasad Maurya's Remarks on Ramcharitmanas

An FIR has been registered against former Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maurya in Varanasi due to his alleged derogatory remarks on the Hindu scripture Ramcharitmanas, as confirmed by police on Wednesday.

The FIR, filed on Tuesday at the Cantonment police station, was prompted by a directive from a local court. Cantonment Station House Officer (SHO) Shivakant Mishra stated that the case includes charges under existing Indian Penal Code sections 295, 298, 504, 505(2), and 153A.

Petitioner advocate Ashok Kumar explained that Maurya made the contentious statements during a TV interview on January 22, 2023, criticizing Ramcharitmanas and its author Tulsidas. Although an initial plea by Kumar was dismissed, a revision led to the MP-MLA court instructing that an FIR be filed under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

(With inputs from agencies.)