Lucknow: The Supreme Court has granted a temporary stay on criminal proceedings against Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya over his alleged controversial remarks regarding Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas. A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, requesting its response in the matter. Maurya approached the apex court after the Allahabad High Court dismissed his plea, seeking the quashing of legal proceedings in a Pratapgarh district court related to the case of remarks against Tulsidas' 'Ramcharitmanas'. The High Court, in November 2023, found sufficient grounds to establish a prima facie case against him.

The case revolves around Maurya's purported statement that specific "chaupayi" of Ramcharitmanas insult a significant section of society and should therefore be banned. He allegedly claimed that the sacred Hindu text, Ramcharitmanas, written by Tulsidas, abused dalits, tribals, and backward classes by naming their castes and labeling them as "shudra." He objected to two "chaupayis" of Ramcharitmanas for being against women, Dalits, tribals, and backward-class people. The Allahabad High Court, after reviewing the chargesheet and other documents, ruled that Maurya should proceed to trial in the lower court, emphasizing the importance of public representatives refraining from actions that could disrupt communal harmony.

The FIR against Maurya includes charges under Sections 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 298 (Uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person), and 505 (2) (Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The FIR alleges that Maurya's remarks prompted leaders across India to unanimously agree to burn copies of the Ramcharitmanas, leading to an atmosphere of anger and unrest.

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