Sudha Murty clarifies after Raksha Bandhan post sparks heated online debate

New Delhi

Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty shared a message on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, emphasising its significance to her and the symbolic value of the thread or Rakhi. She also recounted the story behind the festival, which sparked a debate on social media platform X, with users expressing differing opinions.

The MP later issued a clarification and said that her aim was to highlight one of the many stories she learnt about the significance of festival while growing up.

"Raksha Bandha is an important festival for me, where a sister ties a thread indicating that in case of any difficulty, you should always be there to help me," she said in a video posted on X.

Sharing the story behind the festival Murty said, "The story dates back to when Rani Karnavati of the Kingdom of Mewar faced imminent danger as her small kingdom came under attack. In desperation, she sent a small piece of thread to Mughal Emperor Humayun, asking him to consider her as his sister and to come to her aid."

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"Humayun did not know what it was...he asked what is this and the locals said this is a call of a sister to a brother...this is the custom of the land," adding, "The emperor said okay if this is the case then I will help Rani Karnavati. He left Delhi but couldn't reach there on time and Karnavati died," the Rajya Sabha MP added.

"This idea is when you're facing a threat or in distress. A thread signifies that somebody should come and help me and it means a lot..." she added.

However, several users on X disagreed, arguing that the origins of Raksha Bandhan trace back to the time of the Mahabharata, rather than post-medieval India.

The users said that during the time of Mahabharat, Lord Krishna unintentionally cut his finger while using the Sudarshan chakra to kill King Shishupal. Draupadi covered the wound with a piece of cloth, touched by her gesture, Lord Krishna promised to protect Draupadi forever.

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One user wrote, “With absolute respect Madam, the origin of Rakshabandan dates back to the Mahabharata times. Lord Krishna once accidentally cut his find on the Sudarshan Chakra. Seeing him injured, Draupadi tore a piece of cloth from her saree and tied it to stop the bleeding. Touched by her gesture, Lord Krishna promised to protect Draupadi forever.”

Murty later issued a clarification and said, " 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.”

(With inputs from agencies)