Hindus insulted in Manusmrithi, says former Union Min A Raja

DMK leader A Raja says Manusmrithi insults Hindus and discriminates 90% of Hindus. The Dravidian Movement played saviour to 90% of Hindus and redressed their grievances, he adds. Earlier, BJP had accused him of insulting Hindus.

Chennai: DMK leader A Raja indicted Manusmrithi of denying equality, education, employment and Temple entry to Hindus and discriminating 90% of them, upping his ante against the saffron party after it cried foul over his remarks as being anti-Hindu and women.

"Who are Sudras? Are they not Hindus? Why they have been insulted in Manusmrithi denied equality, education, employment and Temple entry. Dravidian Movement as saviour of 90% Hindus questioned and redressed these, cannot be anti-Hindus," the former Union Minister wrote in Twitter.

Raja while addressing the gathering organised by the Dravidar Kazhagam, had asked: Who is a Hindu? We should have the right to assert... We don't wish to be a Hindu, why are you keeping me as a Hindu? I haven't seen any religion like this. Lingayats in Karnataka are petitioning the Supreme Court saying that their way of worship and religious principles are different.

They are asking themselves not to be declared Hindu. But what does the Supreme Court say? If you aren't a Christian, Muslim, or Persian, you have to be a Hindu. It has deduced, he said and wondered, "Can such a cruelty be meted out in any other country?"

"You are a shudra till you remain a Hindu. You're the son of a prostitute till you remain a shudra. You are a Panchaman (Dalit) till you remain a Hindu. You're an untouchable till you remain a Hindu. How many of you wish to stay as children of prostitutes? How many of you wish to remain untouchables? Only if we are vocal about these questions, it will become elemental in breaking Sanathana (Sanatana Dharma)," he said.

Responding to Raja's remarks, BJP Mahila Morcha national president Vanathi Sreenivasan, who is also an MLA from Coimbatore, had tweeted: "DMK MP A. Raja has insulted the women and Hindus on numerous occasions. This time too he has spewed venom stating that shudras are children of prostitutes and they will remain so until they remain in Hinduism." (with Agency inputs)