“Lord Hanuman was a Muslim”

New Delhi, Dec 20: The debate and arguments over Lord Hanuman's caste took an interesting turn today with BJP MLC Bukkal Nawab saying that Lord Rama's apostle was a Muslim. But, the logic he gave was a weird one.

Nawab said that Muslim names like Rehman and Farman rhyme with Hanuman, so he is a Muslim.

"Hamara manana hai Hanuman ji Muslaman theyy, isliye Musalmanon ke andar jo naam rakha jata hai Rehman, Ramzan, Farman, Zishan, Qurban jitne bhi naam rakhe jaate hain wo karib karib unhi par rakhe jaate hain (We believe that Hanuman Ji was Muslim thats why Muslim names like Rehman, Ramzan, Farman, Zishan, Qurban all resemble Hanuman," news agency ANI quoted Nawab as saying.

This is the third caste/religious identity given to Lord Hanuman ever since Adityanath said that Hanuman was Dalit.

Adityanath had, during a poll rally in Malakheda of Alwar district last month, said, "Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. Bajrang Bali worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west."

BJP MP Savitribai Phule on December 4 said Lord Hanuman was a Dalit and slave to manuvadi people.

Union Minister Satyapal Singh has said caste system did not exist during the time of Ramayana. He further said Lord Hanuman belonged to the Arya caste.