Hanuman world’s first tribal leader: BJP MLA

BJP legislator Gyan Dev Ahuja on Friday said Hindu god Hanuman was the world’s first tribal leader.

Speaking at the party office, Ahuja said, “World’s first tribal leader was Hanuman ji. First saint among the adivasis was Hanuman ji. When Lord Ram was on his way from Chitrakoot to the southern part of the country for the exile, Hanuman made his army of tribals and got training from Lord Ram.”

Ahuja said after he saw a viral video from the Bharat Bandh on April 2, he called up BJP MP from Rajasthan Kirodi Lal Meena and told him this. “On April 2, a picture of Hanuman ji was placed under Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s idol and it was disrespected, that too with shoes and slippers,” Ahuja said.

“I called up Meena and told him you all should be ashamed. You call yourself tribals and then disrespect him,” he added.

When contacted by HT, Ahuja reiterated his statement. “These SC/ST people call themselves tribals. Even if they call Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar as their god, the first true tribal leader in the world was Hanuman ji. He is

JAIPUR: World’s first tribal leader was Hanuman ji. First saint among the adivasis was Hanuman ji. When Lord Ram was on his way from Chitrakoot to the southern part of the country , Hanuman made his army of tribals and got training from Lord Ram GYAN DEV AHUJA , BJP MLA

their first god. He trained the Dalits,” Ahuja said.

He also claimed that Hanuman has 40 lakh temples all over the world, which is the highest number of temples for any god.

Reacting to the statement, MP Kirodi Lal Meena said, “During Hanuman ji’s era, there was no politics. Ahuja would be better aware as to on what basis he has called Hanuman a tribal.”

“I had also heard that Lord Hanuman had been disrespected. That was wrong and unfortunate. What does this have to do with Adivasis? He is a religious figure and such an incident hurts the sentiments of many devotees,” Meena added.