‘A Girl Who’s Been With 4 Men Can’t…’: Premanand Maharaj Faces Backlash Over Remarks

A fresh controversy has erupted around prominent saint Premanand Maharaj after a video of his latest sermon went viral, triggering sharp criticism across social media and civil society circles. In the clip, Maharaj makes sweeping comments about young men and women, suggesting their past relationships render them unfit for marriage. (News18 Hindi)

Referring to the “character” of today’s youth, Maharaj said that a boy who has been with four girls will never be satisfied with his wife, because he has become used to adultery. And, a girl who has been with four men has no courage left to accept a husband, he added. “Out of 100, hardly two or four girls are such who live a pious life and are dedicated to one man,” he said. (News18 Hindi)

The remarks have drawn immediate backlash, with critics calling them “regressive”, “sexist”, and “deeply harmful to women”. Several compared them to a similar controversy involving storyteller Aniruddhacharya, who earlier this year made derogatory statements about women that also sparked protests. (News18 Hindi)

Social media platforms lit up with divided reactions. While some conservative voices defended the comments as a “reminder to uphold Indian culture”, the majority labelled them “a dangerous moral policing exercise” cloaked in religious authority. (News18 Hindi)

Women’s rights groups didn’t hold back either. The president of a Mathura-based women’s collective said that such mindset judges women by their past, whereas society should recognise them by their present and humanity. Other activists warned that such statements could reinforce patriarchal narratives and justify discrimination under the guise of preserving tradition. (News18 Hindi)

As the outrage builds, Premanand Maharaj has not issued any clarification. But with pressure mounting from both civil society and within spiritual circles, his silence may not last long. (News18 Hindi)