Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal unite to criticise Adipurush, demand ban and apology

The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) joined forces as they criticised the controversial film 'Adipurush' and demanded a ban while seeking an apology from its makers.

They slammed the movie for its "cheap and superficial dialogues," alleging it to be part of a hidden "agenda." The SP also took a swipe at the ruling BJP in connection with this matter.

Akhilesh Yadav, the national president of the Samajwadi Party, questioned whether the Censor Board had become visually impaired, urging them to examine the "political character certificate" of individuals who played with people's faith by producing films with an agenda using political funding. Shivpal Yadav, the national general secretary of the Samajwadi Party, stated that the film's attempt to belittle the great and inspiring character of Lord Ram with "cheap and superficial dialogues" had deeply hurt millions of faithful believers. He demanded an apology from the so-called sanatani (Hindu traditionalist) BJP leaders for this action.

Swami Prasad Maurya, another national general secretary of the Samajwadi Party, who courted controversy earlier this year by alleging caste discrimination in the ancient epic Ramcharitmanas, also criticised the BJP over the movie. Maurya questioned whether the indecent language given to the characters by writer Manoj Muntashir and director Om Raut did not insult the 'Sanatan dharma' (eternal religion). He asked why those who had issued threats to behead him remained silent, suggesting that it might be due to the high-caste status of Muntashir and Raut.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) demanded an immediate ban on the movie, asserting that 'Adipurush' had mocked the Ramayana and the faith in Sanatan Dharma, causing deep offence to religious sentiments. The RLD spokesperson insisted that the movie makers must apologise to the people for tampering with religious texts and culture.