Devant vexed at 666 ritual

ACTIVIST Devant Maharaj has urged Government politicians to condemn a mock-Hindu ritual performed in a video on Facebook that sought to link him to the number 666, a symbol of evil in the Christian faith.

In the video, a chubby, shirtless man was disguised in a face-mask portraying late American comedian Groucho Marx. The man sits at a table with a knife, burning candle and jars of oil. He chants rapidly and inaudibly and writes the word DEVANT on a white plate.

"So you want to play with numbers,” the man says. “Let we play with numbers nuh. You like numbers? Take numbers!” He proceeds to write the number “666,” a number in the Bible that represents a character who embodies evil known as the Beast.

The bizarre post came the day Devant exposed the third phone number of a Cabinet Minister. “I want to give you a little blood now,” he says, and sprays ketchup around the plate. The man chants erratically and curses. “Take a little bay leaf and garlic in your M.A.” He stabs the plate at the word Devant.

On Facebook, Maharaj condemned the video, “PNM supporter and the recipient of many lucrative governments contract mocks the Hindu religion as he attacks me.” He told Newsday, “The Hindu community are very upset about it. It mimics a Hindu ritual.

“I find it interesting the PNM Women’s League and PRO are silent about this.” Maharaj also wondered what are the views of top Hindus in the PNM, including Cabinet Ministers. He wondered if the performer was taking a cue from references by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to a Les Couteax jumbie.

Pundit Satyanand Maharaj on Facebook condemned the strange post. "I have no objection to the PNM and their activists responding politically to issues, but it is objectionable and offensive to mock Hinduism or any religion in the process."

Recalling the offensive Sari Skit at a PNM Family Day, Maharaj said, "The PNM must come out and state clearly its position."