Viral video: Woman sets Manusmriti on fire, lights cigarette with it, know why

A video of a woman setting the Manusmriti on fire has gone viral on social media since Sunday. The video also shows the woman lighting a cigarette from the flames of the burning book while she cooks chicken on a stove. 

The woman has been identified as 27-year-old Priya Das. She is the state secretary of the women's cell of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Aajtak reported.

She is a resident of Sheikhpura in Bihar. But why did she burn the Manusmriti? On this, Priya said she had bought Manusmriti for about Rs 500. In the book, it is written that if a woman drinks alcohol, she can be punished in many ways, she said, adding that, but a woman's caste must be ascertained before she is punished.

मेरा उद्देश्य किसी की भावना को आहत पहुंचाना नहीं बल्कि बहुजन समाज में जागरूकता लाना है
जो ग्रंथ महिलाओं को समानता नहीं देता उसको जला देना ही उचित है? अंधविश्वास पाखंड वाद और ढोंग के विचारों पर वार करना मेरा उद्देश्य है? मनुस्मृति दहन बाबा साहब ने
25 दिसंबर 1927 की थी @Vndnason pic.twitter.com/W2j7PAxE2p

— Shiv Kumar Chawla ASP (@shiv__ASP) March 6, 2023

“I don’t eat non-vegetarian food and neither do I smoke,” she told the channel, pointing out that her acts in the video were just for registering her protest against the book.

After her video went viral,  many people hailed her for voicing against oppression, several others felt the act promoted 'intolerance' and was directed towards Hindus. 

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