Rajya Sabha member Sudha Murty found herself in the midst of an online debate after sharing a video on Monday. The video, in which she attributed the origin of Raksha Bandhan to a story involving Mughal emperor Humayun and Chittor's Rani Karnavati, sparked controversy and led to her being trolled.
In response to the backlash, Murty issued a clarification, stating the story she shared was "one of many tales" associated with the festival. "The story I shared on Raksha Bandhan is just one of many tales associated with the festival and certainly not its origin," she explained in a post on Tuesday.
"My intention was to highlight one of the many stories I learnt about when growing up, about the beautiful symbolism behind Raksha Bandhan," she wrote.
The story I shared on Raksha Bandhan is just one of many tales associated with the festival and certainly not its origin. As I have said in the video clip, this was already a custom of the land. My intention was to highlight one of the many stories I learnt about when growing up,…
— Smt. Sudha Murty (@SmtSudhaMurty) August 19, 2024
Murty had shared a post on X, detailing what she called the "rich history" of Raksha Bandhan. She stated that the festival's tradition could be traced back to "Rani Karnavati sending a thread to Humayun" in the 16th century.
In the video, Murty explained, "Raksha Bandhan has a rich history. When Rani Karnavati was in danger, she sent a thread to King Humayun as a symbol of sibling-hood, asking for his help. This is where the tradition of the thread began, and it continues to this day."
Murty described Raksha Bandhan as an important festival celebrating the brother-sister bond. She recounted the story of Rani Karnavati who, in a time of crisis, sent a thread to Humayun, asking him to protect her as a brother. Although Humayun attempted to help, he arrived too late.
Raksha Bandhan has a rich history. When Rani Karnavati was in danger, she sent a thread to King Humayun as a symbol of sibling-hood, asking for his help. This is where the tradition of the thread began and it continues to this day. pic.twitter.com/p98lwCZ6Pp
— Smt. Sudha Murty (@SmtSudhaMurty) August 19, 2024
Amidst the backlash, some users accused Murty of promoting a "fake story" and questioned her choice of highlighting a Mughal connection to a Hindu festival.
One user commented, "Words spoken can't be taken back. Left Krishna and Draupadi's story and landed in Humayun. What a fall."
Words spoken can't be taken back. Left Krishna and Draupadi's story and landed in Humayun. What a fall.
— Gayatri (BharatKiBeti) (@changu311) August 19, 2024
Another remarked, "There is no truth to it. It's a fake story."
There is no truth to it . It’s a fake story
— Punita Toraskar (@impuni) August 19, 2024
Yet another comment read, "Of all the stories, you chose Humayun's connection to showcase our Hindu tradition of Raksha Bandhan. Beauty of Secularism ."
Of all the stories, you chose Humayun's connection to showcase our Hindu tradition of Raksha Bandhan. Beauty of Secularism
— Alpaca Girl (@Alpakanya) August 19, 2024
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