<p>A group of BJP workers here staged a protest against Swami Prasad Maurya over his controversial remarks on the "Ramcharitmanas" as the Samajwadi Party leader's convoy made its way to Sonbhadra, police said.</p>.<p>Maurya, a general secretary in the Samajwadi Party (SP), recently courted controversy after he alleged that certain verses in the "Ramcharitmanas" -- a popular version of the "Ramayana" penned by Tulsidas -- "insult" a large section of society on the basis of caste and demanded a ban on those passages.</p>.<p>The protest took place on Sunday near the district's Tengra Morh area when Maurya was travelling from Varanasi to Sonbhadra, the police said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/samajwadi-party-to-focus-on-politics-of-social-justice-1189104.html" target="_blank">Samajwadi Party to focus on politics of social justice</a></strong></p>.<p>Shouting slogans of "Jai Shri Ram" and "Har Har Mahadev", the protesters also threw a black cloth at Maurya's car.</p>.<p>However, the police stopped the protesters before any untoward incident could take place and allowed the SP leader's convoy to pass.</p>.<p>No arrests have been made in this connection so far, they said.</p>.<p>One of the protesters demanded an apology from Maurya and said the protests against him would continue if he failed to do so.</p>.<p>He will also not be allowed to enter Kashi, the protester told reporters.</p>.<p>Maurya, a prominent OBC leader in Uttar Pradesh, was a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government. He resigned from the party and joined the SP before the 2022 Assembly elections.</p>.<p>He unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls from Fazilnagar in Kushinagar district. He was later sent to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.</p>.<p>On January 24, an FIR was registered against Maurya at Hazratganj police station over his controversial comments on the "Ramcharitmanas".</p>.<p>Another FIR was registered against him and others on January 29 at the PGI police station.</p>
<p>A group of BJP workers here staged a protest against Swami Prasad Maurya over his controversial remarks on the "Ramcharitmanas" as the Samajwadi Party leader's convoy made its way to Sonbhadra, police said.</p>.<p>Maurya, a general secretary in the Samajwadi Party (SP), recently courted controversy after he alleged that certain verses in the "Ramcharitmanas" -- a popular version of the "Ramayana" penned by Tulsidas -- "insult" a large section of society on the basis of caste and demanded a ban on those passages.</p>.<p>The protest took place on Sunday near the district's Tengra Morh area when Maurya was travelling from Varanasi to Sonbhadra, the police said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/samajwadi-party-to-focus-on-politics-of-social-justice-1189104.html" target="_blank">Samajwadi Party to focus on politics of social justice</a></strong></p>.<p>Shouting slogans of "Jai Shri Ram" and "Har Har Mahadev", the protesters also threw a black cloth at Maurya's car.</p>.<p>However, the police stopped the protesters before any untoward incident could take place and allowed the SP leader's convoy to pass.</p>.<p>No arrests have been made in this connection so far, they said.</p>.<p>One of the protesters demanded an apology from Maurya and said the protests against him would continue if he failed to do so.</p>.<p>He will also not be allowed to enter Kashi, the protester told reporters.</p>.<p>Maurya, a prominent OBC leader in Uttar Pradesh, was a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government. He resigned from the party and joined the SP before the 2022 Assembly elections.</p>.<p>He unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls from Fazilnagar in Kushinagar district. He was later sent to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.</p>.<p>On January 24, an FIR was registered against Maurya at Hazratganj police station over his controversial comments on the "Ramcharitmanas".</p>.<p>Another FIR was registered against him and others on January 29 at the PGI police station.</p>