Jaipur: Minister Ramlal Jat and Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, giving competition to each other as each tried to prove their belief in God, started chanting Hanuman Chalisa during the Rajasthan Assembly on Friday.
The argument started when Rathore, while speaking in the House, said that priest Babulal Vaishnav was torched in Sapotra, priest Girraj had to commit suicide at Laxmi Narayan Temple in Murlipura in Jaipur, and priest Navaratna Lal was blown up with a petrol bomb in Deogarh in Rajsamand. Mamata Bhupesh, arguing over the statement, said that the house should not be concerned about just a few temples.
Expressing his views on Nathdwara Temple (Amendment) Bill 2022 and Shri Sanwalia Ji Temple (Amendment), Rathore slammed Minister Mamta Bhupesh and called her an atheist.
Rathore further reacted to the retaliation and called Bhupesh an atheist. Bhupesh said that she believes in God and she visits temples. Rathore challenged her to recite Hanuman Chalisa followed by the house's applause. Ramlal Jat also took a stand, backing Bhupesh and challenging Rathore to recite Hanuman Chalisa. A few minutes into the debate, the ministers started to recite Hanuman Chalisa in the house while their fellow politicians applauded.
Also read: Maharashtra: Police stop women SHGs from chanting 'Hanuman Chalisa' outside office of DyCM Fadnavis
Earlier, Nagpur police stopped members of women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) while they were going to the office of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to chant 'Hanuman Chalisa' to draw his attention towards their demands, an official said. Members of the women SHGs from neighbouring Wardha have been staging protests in Nagpur city, the hometown of Fadnavis, for a week demanding the release of honorarium which they claimed has been withheld by the state government.
After they gave the protest call on Sunday, the city police beefed up security at the office of Fadnavis, who represents the Nagpur south-west Assembly constituency and is also the guardian minister of the Wardha district.
