New Delhi: Apni Janata Party president Swami Prasad Maurya sparked controversy on Tuesday by questioning the traditional worship of Goddess Lakshmi for prosperity, calling such prayers “miles away from practicality.”

Speaking to ANI, Maurya said, “Offering prayers to Goddess Lakshmi might be a tradition, but this is miles away from practicality. Had praying to Goddess Lakshmi made one rich, India would not have been one of the poor nations in the world. Eighty crore people in the country still lead a life of poverty.”

He also questioned the logic behind associating prosperity with worship, saying, “People may or may not accept it, but can those 80 crore people who survive on 5–10 kilograms of rice send their children to universities? Can such people make their children doctors, engineers, professors, advocates, IAS, IPS, or scientists? Never. Crores of youths are unemployed today. Had praying to Goddess Lakshmi eradicated poverty, 80 crore people would not have survived on just 5–10 kilograms of rice and crores of youth would not have been unemployed.”

Clarifying that his comments were not against worship, Maurya said, “I didn’t oppose any form of worship, I just said that ‘Ghar ki Lakshmi’ should be worshipped because she keeps the house tidy round the clock and makes it heavenly,” he said.

“If you have to pray, pray to ‘Ghar ki Lakshmi’ so that there is joy and prosperity at home. This is an appeal. If people take this otherwise, it depends on their mindset,” Maurya added.

The remarks have triggered sharp reactions on social media, with critics accusing Maurya of hurting religious sentiments.