On December 23, a celebration to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee became heated when a protest interrupted the rendition of the well-known bhajan “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.” As folk singer Devi got to the line “Ishwar Allah tero naam,” which represents Mahatma Gandhi’s appeal for social harmony and unity, there was a protest.
The incident took place at the Main Atal Rahunga event, which was held to honor Vajpayee’s legacy at the Bapu Sabhagar auditorium. About 50 people in the audience started to loudly protest Devi’s singing of the bhajan, claiming that the Gandhian verse should not have been included.
The singer had to halt her performance in the middle of the protest. She tried to persuade the crowd to stop the disturbance and offer an apology, but the demonstrators persisted.
BJP Condemns ‘Heights of Intolerance’
The incident drew immediate backlash from political leaders across the spectrum, especially from those within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the event’s organizers. Former Union Minister and BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain condemned the protest, calling it “the height of intolerance.”
He stressed that such actions were contrary to the values that Vajpayee, known for his inclusive approach, stood for. “This disruption dishonors the ideals of Atal ji and the harmony he stood for,” Hussain said.
Ashwini Kumar Choubey, another senior BJP leader and co-organizer of the event, expressed his dismay. “What happened was against the spirit of civility. I tried to pacify the crowd from the stage, but this should never have occurred,” Choubey stated.
The event also witnessed strong reactions from prominent BJP figures such as Dr. C.P. Thakur and Sanjay Paswan, both of whom emphasized that the protest was unacceptable. Sanjay Paswan further called for respect toward India’s “assimilative ideologies,” which are rooted in the teachings of leaders like Gandhi, Lohia, Ambedkar, and Deendayal Upadhyay.
Opposition Parties Criticize the BJP’s Actions
The protest quickly garnered attention from opposition parties, particularly the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), who criticized the BJP for “insulting” Gandhian values.
On Atal ji's birth anniversary, the government organised 'I am Atal' programme in Patna.
In this, as soon as the folk singer Devi sang Gandhiji's favorite hymn "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram", the BJP leaders sitting in front created a ruckus.
The folk singer was asked to apologize… pic.twitter.com/x1SZk6rtVE
— Congress for INDIA (@INC4IN) December 26, 2024
RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav attacked the BJP for promoting “Jai Shri Ram” slogans and claimed that it was an attempt to “insult” women by disregarding the significance of “Sita Ram” in Gandhian philosophy. Yadav asserted, “With the slogan of ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ the BJP insults half of the women population. These people are anti-women from the very beginning.”
संघियों और भाजपाइयों को “जय सियाराम, जय सीताराम” के नाम एवं नारे से शुरू ही नफरत है क्योंकि उसमें माता सीता का जयकारा है। ये लोग शुरू से ही महिला विरोधी है तथा “जय श्री राम’ के नारे के साथ आधी आबादी महिलाओं का भी अपमान करते हैं।
गायिका देवी ने कल कार्यक्रम में बापू के नाम पर… pic.twitter.com/fOGhxfWE16
— Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) December 26, 2024
The Congress party, in a scathing statement, also condemned the actions of BJP leaders at the event. “On Atal ji’s birth anniversary, the government organized the ‘I am Atal’ program in Patna. As soon as the folk singer Devi sang Gandhiji’s favorite hymn ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram,’ the BJP leaders sitting in front created a ruckus,” the Congress statement read. The party further claimed, “This incident is a testament to how much hatred the RSS-BJP people have for Gandhiji. People with Godse’s ideology cannot respect Gandhiji.”
Samajwadi Party says, ‘BJP creates ruckus’
The Samajwadi Party, led by Akhilesh Yadav, also joined the chorus of criticism. The party’s media cell urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to reconsider his support for the BJP-led NDA government. “BJP members created a ruckus over singing the Gandhi bhajan ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram,’ and the singer was asked to apologize to the BJP members. Where is BJP taking this country?” the Samajwadi Party asked. The party called on Nitish Kumar to “immediately withdraw support from such BJP.”
गांधी भजन "रघुपति राघव राजा राम" गाने पर भाजपाइयों ने हंगामा कर दिया और गायिका को भाजपाइयों से माफी मंगवाई गई
ये देश किस तरफ ले जा रही है भाजपा ? रघुपति राघव राजा राम गांधी भजन तक नहीं सुनने को तैयार हैं भाजपाई ?
बिहार सीएम श्री @NitishKumar जी को ऐसी भाजपा से तत्काल समर्थन… pic.twitter.com/mjgTZ8LBeh
— SamajwadiPartyMediaCell (@MediaCellSP) December 26, 2024
The incident at the Main Atal Rahunga event, which was meant to honor Vajpayee’s legacy and contributions, put more emphasis on widening societal divides than the former prime minister’s inclusive values. Growing conflicts over communal harmony and how Gandhian principles should be interpreted eclipsed the event’s message as the dispute progressed.
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