Bharatiya Janata Party has lashed out at Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya for accusing the Centre of inviting only Brahmin gurus for the installation of the Sengol in the new Parliament building and ignoring religious leaders of other faiths.

SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya on Sunday accused the BJP-led Centre of inviting only “Fundamentalist Brahmin gurus” for the inauguration of the new parliament building while ignoring other religious leaders.

“The allegation of Brahmanism made by the SP is comical and reeks of ignorance. These adheenams are run by communities that come under Backward Class and Other Backward Classes categories. They have a rich history of Tamil literature that worships Lord Shiva,” sources in the government said.

The remarks were termed as an insult to the adheenams (chief priests of Shaivism mutts) and to the diversity of Hinduism.

“It is an insult to these holy adheenams and to the diversity of Hinduism to make such comments,” the BJP said.

Maurya, in a tweet, said, “It is extremely unfortunate that only fundamentalist Brahmin gurus of the South were called in the installation worship of Sengol. If the BJP government had faith in India as a secular sovereign nation, then all the religious leaders of the country, such as Buddhist dharmacharyas (monks), Jain acharyas (sages), Guru Granthis, Muslim religious leaders (maulana), Christian religious leaders (pastor) etc. should have been invited.”

“By not doing so, the BJP has shown its corrupt mentality and disgusting thinking. Although the BJP government is going on the path of monarchy by establishing the Sengol, it is also trying to establish Brahmanism by calling the Brahmin religious leaders of the South,” Maurya added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dedicated the new Parliament building to the nation by unveiling a plaque and installing the Sengol in the Lok Sabha chamber. The prime minister felicitated some of the workers involved in the construction of the new Parliament building. He handed over mementoes to them.

Prime Minister Modi installed the sacred Sengol in the new Parliament building, right next to the speaker’s chair, after performing puja.

Modi also performed sashtang pranam (prostration) before the Sengol as a mark of respect during the ceremony.