A woman artiste was allegedly heckled during an event in Patna on Wednesday when she sang popular bhajan ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’. The Opposition shared a video of the incident and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)members of creating an uproar.

The incident happened at a function held in Patna, Bihar, on the occasion of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee‘s birth anniversary on Wednesday.

What’s happened at the event?

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief president Lalu Prasad Yadav claimed that folk singer Devi sang Mahatma Gandhi’s bhajan, Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, Patit Pavan Sita Ram’, at the auditorium built in his name and said “Sita Ram”.

“Then the petty BJP members made her apologise on the mic and made her chant Jai Shri Ram instead of Jai Sita Ram,” Yadav alleged, asking, “why do these Sanghis insult women including Sita Mata?”

Yadav also shared the viral video of the incident, wherein the singer can be seen offering an apology to the unruly crowds, who got agitated when she sang the stanza ‘Ishwar Allah Tero Naam’. The video seemed edited, with some parts missing in between.

The Congress said the incident was “a testament to how much hatred the RSS-BJP people have for Gandhiji.” The party added, “People with Godse’s ideology cannot respect Gandhiji. But they should remember…This country will be run by the ideology of Gandhiji, not Godse.”

BJP says furore was over...

Media reports claimed that the mob objected to the line in the bhajan —’Ishwar Allah tero naam’.

BJP sources told news agency PTI that the newspaper report shared by Lalu Yadav in a tweet clearly stated that the furore was not over ‘Sita Ram’ but the subsequent stanza —’Ishwar Allah Tero Naam’.

While the bhajan is several centuries old, the aforesaid stanza is believed to have been an improvisation at Mahatma Gandhi’s instance, in keeping with his push for unity among Hindus and Muslims.

BJP sources claimed that party workers opposed the “recital of a line that was not part of the original verse composed by 15th-century poet Narsi Mehta, but inserted later, apparently in line with Gandhi’s Hindu-Muslim unity plank”.

A folk singer, while singing at a function to commemorate the life of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had to stop her performance, and apologise to the public. Massive protests erupted after the folk singer Devi sang the lines “Ishwar Allah tero naam” as part of her rendition of Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram.

Why the folk singer apologised

Devi explained that the event organisers had requested her to sing a bhajan, and she felt it was “befitting to sing Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite bhajan” for the occasion, according to The Indian Express. She noted that the performance began without issue, but when she reached the stanza “Ishwar Allah tero naam,” a section of the audience protested, prompting her to stop singing. Devi also mentioned that Choubey intervened and managed to calm the crowd.

Bhajan hurt the feelings of ‘petty people’

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD ) president Lalu Yadav also posted about the protests, stating the bhajan, which is closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, hurt the feelings of ‘petty people’.

“Yesterday in Patna, when the singer sang Gandhiji’s hymn “Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, Patit Pavan Sita Ram”, Nitish Kumar’s fellow BJP members created an uproar.

The Bhajan hurt the feelings of petty people with low understanding. Bhajan singer Devi had to apologise,” Lalu Yadav posted on X.

Senior BJP leader Shahnawaz, who was also a former union minister in the Vajpayee administration, described the incident as “the height of intolerance,” according to The Indian Express.

“I had quoted Atal ji during my address. He used to say, ‘chhote dil se koi bada nahi hota (no one makes it big with a small heart)’. The protest of the bhajan is the height of intolerance. I felt too embarrassed and ashamed,” said Shahnawaz Hussain, as per a report by IE.