Writer KS Bhagawan makes controversial remark on Lord Rama, says 'how can he be ideal?'

MANDYA: Retired Professor and Writer KS Bhagawan have stoked a controversy after he made derogatory claims about (Lord) Rama stating that he was "not ideal", adding that he sat with Sita and spent the day "drinking".

He also claimed that Rama chopped the head of Shambuka, a shudra, and asked "how can he be ideal?"

Addressing an event in Karnataka's Mandya, Bhagawan said, "There is talk about building a Rama Rajya...If one reads the Uttara Kanda of Valmiki's Ramayana, it will become evident that (Lord) Rama was not ideal. He did not rule for 11,000 years, but only for 11 years".

He claimed that Rama sent Sita to the forest and "didn't bother about her".

"(Lord) Rama would sit with Sita in the afternoon & spend the rest of the day drinking...He sent his wife Sita into the forest and didn't bother about her...He chopped off the head of Shambuka, a Shudra, who was sitting in penance under a tree. How can he be ideal?" he said.