Ram Madhav sparks row as he says Draupadi was the cause of Mahabharata

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Madhav has sparked a controversy with his comment on Draupadi and Mahabharata. Speaking at an event in Panaji on Sunday, Madhav had said termed Draupadi as the first feminist in Indian mythology.

Madhav further said that she listened more to her friend, lord Krishna, rather than listening to her husbands. He went on to blame the mythological character for Mahabharata, which led to loss of over 18 lakh lives.

He made the remarks at the Indic Thought Festival in Panaji, Goa.

According to reports, women activists are divided over Madhav’s statement. While one section feels that he is right in his statement, another feels that Draupadi was a woman who faced severe atrocities.

Renowned classical dancer Sonal Mansingh backed Madhav, terming his speech as “excellent”. She took to Twitter to extend her support to Madhav and her tweet was also retweeted by the BJP leader.

However, Prabhat Khabar quoted noted author Anita Nair as saying that Draupadi represents all those women who have been oppressed and faced injustice. Nair, who has even written a book on Draupadi, said that the wife of the Pandava brothers never got a chance to speak for herself.

Another author, Trisha Das, dismissed the theory of Draupadi being the cause of Mahabharata. She said that it was the arrogance of men that live were lost in the war.