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A Patna event to mark the birth centenary of former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee witnessed dramatic scenes yesterday over a folk singer's rendition of the bhajan, "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram".
Devi, a folk singer, had started singing "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram", closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, when a section of the audience started protesting. The singer tweaked the lines, replacing "Ishwar Allah Tero Naam" with "Shri Raghunandan Jai Siya Ram, Janaki Vallabh Sita Ram", but the protest continued.
At one point, a man on the stage whispered something into the singer's ear. She stopped singing and clarified, "God belongs to all of us, I intended to remember Ram." One of the organisers intervened and raised "Jai Shri Ram" slogans and added, "Her intention was right."
Devi was then forced to apologise as the slogans from the audience got louder. "I sang this song for Lord Ram. You know our Indian culture is large-hearted. Hindus are the only ones who accept everyone. You must not get hurt by this song. If you are hurt, I want to say sorry," she said.
The folk singer said, "Hinduism teaches that people from every religion are our family, we believe in Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Jai Shri Ram."
Ms Devi then sang a Chhath song by renowned singer Padma Bhushan Sharda Sinha, who died recently. She left shortly after.
The folk singer told the media later, "Hinduism is a religion that accepts everybody. Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians are brothers. We must embrace humanity. I believe humanity is the biggest religion. But many people here did not like the word 'Allah', maybe they did not listen properly. Ishwar, Allah are different names of God."
"They are my fans, but sometimes, a small word hurts someone. I am sorry if they were hurt, but I want to tell them that they must embrace the religion of humanity," she said.
The event, "Main Atal Rahunga", was organised in Patna's Bapu Auditorium to pay tribute to the BJP stalwart and freedom fighter and Hindu Mahasabha founder Madan Mohan Malviya.
The episode has sparked a political row, with Opposition RJD and the Congress targeting the ruling BJP. RJD MP Manoj Kumar Jha said that if this favourite bhajan of Gandhi riles people up, "we are travelling in a bottomless well and there is no ray of light". Bihar Congress said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is bowing before Gandhi's statues in India and abroad and BJP leaders in Bihar are hurt by Bhajans he sang.