Religious figures and the love of foot in the mouth

The Shankaracharya of Dwaraka-Sharda Peeth, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, recently stirred up a controversy by saying that the entry of women in Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra will lead to rise in crimes likes rapes against them.

This was not the first time that religious figures have put their foot in the mouth with their statements. While good health, well-being and spirituality are what they all profess, some have made it to the headlines for the controversy they create through their utterances.

Here, Business Standard takes a look at few of these Babas, Gurus or Ulemas who have made a name for themselves with what they spoke

1. Worshipping Saibaba causes droughts!

The devotees of Saibaba have taken a dim view of Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati's statement in which he linked worship of the "fakir" to prevalence of drought-like conditions in Maharashtra. 

News agency Press Trust of India had quoted the Shankaracharya of Dwarka-Sharda peeth as saying: "The unworthy Sai is being worshipped while the real Gods are ignored. This is happening in Maharashtra and particularly in Shirdi. Hence, Maharashtra is facing drought".

2. Beg your rapists and they would spare you!

Asaram Bapu made his comment after the 16 December Delhi gang rape incident and said that the victim was equally responsible for the crime. He said the girl could have called her assailants brothers and begged them to stop. His comments invited sharp criticism from across the political spectrum and from women's activists.

3. Say Bharat Mata Ki Jai or lose your head!

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev joined the chorus of people demanding chanting of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', when he said that he respects the law of the land and the Constitution otherwise 'lakhs of heads would have been cut for opposing the chanting of Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.

News agency Press Trust of India had quoted him as saying: "If any religion prohibits chanting of Bharat Mata Ki Jai it is against national interest (kehte hain Bharat Mata Ki Jai bolna hamare dharm ke khilaaf hai....aur agar koi mazhab yeh kehta ho ki apni matrabhoomi ko gaurav mat do, woh mazhab bhi desh ke hit mein nahi".

4. Oppose Surya Namaskar and drown!

Yogi Adityanath, the BJP MP from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh who is known for his controversial statements on June 9 2015 said that those who oppose surya namaskar should drown.

News website Oneindia quoted the BJP MP from Gorakhpur as saying: "The sun has never discriminated against anyone.The intelligence of those opposed to surya namaskar is laughable."

5. Women can never equal men and are fit only to deliver children!

The Chief of All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama, Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar has controversially described the concept of gender equality as being “un-Islamic” and said that women could never equal men as “they are fit only to deliver children”.

News agency Press Trust of India had quoted Musliyar as saying: "Gender equality is something which is never going to be a reality. It is against Islam, humanity and was intellectually wrong. Women can never equal men. They are fit only to deliver children. Women cannot withstand crisis situations.”