Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday hit out at "dominant and hegemonic forces" for trying to monopolize religious discourse, citing the recent incident in Etawah where a Bhagwat kathavachak (religious storyteller) was brutally assaulted over his caste identity.
Speaking at the SP headquarters in Lucknow, Akhilesh said, “There are some people who want to maintain their monopoly over Bhagwat kathas. If everyone can listen to Bhagwat katha, why cannot everyone recite it? If true devotees of Lord Krishna are stopped from narrating the Bhagwat, why should anyone tolerate this insult?”
The former chief minister was referring to a viral video from Etawah where a kathavachak was beaten, had his hair forcibly cut, and a woman accompanying him was humiliated—reportedly forced to rub her nose at someone’s feet—after his caste was asked. The video sparked political outrage and raised questions about caste-based discrimination in religious spaces.
Akhilesh further attacked the ruling BJP, calling it a “heartless and undemocratic government.” He said, “Had there been impartial action, such incidents would not occur. If justice is delivered under the Constitution and Preamble framed by Babasaheb Ambedkar, the poor, minorities, and rural people will get the dignity they deserve.”
He accused the BJP-led government of denying justice to the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak – Backward, Dalit, and Minority) sections of society and claimed that dominant forces, with the blessings of the government, are continuously insulting PDA communities. “If a PDA person visits a temple, these people feel the need to purify the place with Ganga water. This shows the deep-rooted casteist mindset,” he added.
In a gesture of solidarity, Akhilesh Yadav honoured the victimized kathavachaks at the SP office. He handed over Rs 21,000 each as personal support and announced that the party would give them Rs 51,000 each to stand with them in their fight for dignity and justice.
