Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy was forced to issue a clarification on August 19, after suggesting that the tradition of Raksha Bandhan originated when Rani Karnavati sent a thread seeking the help of Mughal emperor Humayun.
On the day of Raksha Bandhan, a festival largely celebrated in north India, Sudha Murthy had shared a video on X with the caption, “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.”
Linking the origins of a Hindu festival to a Mughal king irked the Hindu right-wing, who incessantly trolled the MP for “distorting history.”
Hindu right-wing accounts claimed that the festival preceded the incident of Karnavati and Humayun. And they further demanded proof for making such a claim.
An account named Rangarajan Narasimhan, replied, “Mrs. @SmtSudhaMurty What is the source of this story?! I am not sure why you must invent stories like these, which is actually putting in doubt every single practice of Sanathana Dharma!! For some one of your stature, you must provide historical proof for such, you can easily do that with the amount of money you have. But you chose to come on camera, and sit in a neat posture to read from a teleprompter. Are you in trouble?! If you need help, do let know. I can help you!!!! I know you are getting trolled for this already but I if you are serious of such "stories", why dont you come out with the proof of the same?! What are you gaining by doing such a "story”!!!”
Following this, the MP wrote a clarification saying, “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, about the beautiful symbolism behind Raksha Bandhan. Raksha Bandhan is a much older tradition that has transcended time and culture of our beloved country, one that I am proud of and look forward to with affection for my own siblings.”