GK MLA to organise Ramayana recitation

NEW DELHI: Greater Kailash MLA and AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday said he would organise monthly recitation of the Ramayana’s Sundar Kand across neighbourhoods in his constituency to get blessings of Lord Hanuman.

“The programmes will be organised on the first Tuesday of every month in different localities (in Greater Kailash). It would involve recitation of the Ramayana’s Sundar Kand to get blessings of Lord Hanuman,” said Bharadwaj, adding that he would himself do the recitations. The first event was held on Tuesday at a Hanuman temple in south Delhi’s Chirag Dilli neighbourhood, which falls under Greater Kailash assembly segment.

Sundar Kand is a chapter from the Ramayana, which depicts Hanuman’s journey to Lanka, the kingdom of Ravana. Bharadwaj said several RWAS have offered to sponsor the programmes and events are “booked” till December.

Responding to the development, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashok Goel Devraha said, “We expect that the Aam Aadmi Party, which used to play politics in favour of a particular religious group will now work for all the religious communities during the next five years. We hope that Aam Aadmi Party will not only stand by Shaheen Bagh but also with the entire Delhi and work for the development of Delhi instead of playing politics of hatred.”

Bharadwaj hit back saying, the BJP thinks that those who believe in secularism are “anti-nationals”. “The BJP thinks that only they have the moral authority over Hinduism and all other Hindus who believe in values such as secularism are anti-nationals. We will change such ideas,” said Bharadwaj.

“During their campaign, the BJP leaders constantly made fun of (Delhi CM) Arvind Kejriwal’s devotion for Hanuman. The day we won the polls, February 11, was a Tuesday, the day devoted to Lord Hanuman. The BJP needs to remember that,” Bharadwaj said.

During the campaign for the assembly elections, when some BJP leaders called Kejriwal a “terrorist” and accused the AAP of “sponsoring” the ongoing protest against the amended citizenship law at Shaheen Bagh, Kejriwal had hit back calling them “pseudo-hindus”. Kejriwal also sang verses of Hanuman Chalisa in several public events.

On February 11, when the AAP won the polls, Kejriwal visited the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place and Bharadwaj organised a rally with a person dressed like Hanuman in his constituency.