Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has called characters from Indian epics stronger and more powerful than popular Hollywood superheroes, which would not have attracted attention had he not said so in a speech at a science event.
“Lord Hanuman’s strength surpasses that of Superman, Arjuna was a greater warrior than Iron Man or Batman,” he was seen saying in Telugu at the inaugural session of the Bharatiya Vigyan Sammelan at Tirupati’s National Sanskrit University on Friday.
The goal was noble. He was appealing to parents, teachers and society to expose children and youth to India’s epics and cultural heritage instead of restricting them to Western superhero narratives.
What left many scratching their heads was why it was part of a science event speech.
The chief minister said India’s mythological heroes embodied far greater values, strength and ideals than fictional characters like Spider-Man, Batman or Superman.
“Lord Ram remains the ultimate symbol of righteousness, with Ram Rajya representing ideal governance,” Naidu said during his address at the event, which was also attended by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Naidu urged people to teach children about the greatness of Hindu gods Krishna and Lord Shiva, and the lessons from the Ramayan and Mahabharat.
Referring to contemporary cinema, he said these epics “are more profound than even popular films like Avatar.”
The remarks triggered sarcasm and humour on social media.
“Finally he agreed all Mahabharata and Ramayana are cinema scripts,” wrote one user.
“What nonsense. Modi is stronger and more powerful than all of them,” another quipped.
“How to Win a Heart and Influence a Sanghi. - should be the new title for a book in India,” a third commented.
Naidu, who is known for advocating information technology and artificial intelligence, recently announced that his government would award Rs 100 crore to any scientist from Andhra Pradesh who wins a Nobel Prize for work in quantum science.
The seventh edition of the Bharatiya Vigyan Sammelan is being held at the National Sanskrit University in Tirupati from December 26 to 29.