Another eyeball to eyeball confrontation between Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP emerged on Friday over a video clip. In the viral video AAP Minister of Social Welfare Rajendra Pal Gautam was seen at a public mass religious conversion event. The minister was heard taking an oath denouncing Hindu Gods.
The AAP Minister, among a thousand others at the event, can be heard taking an oath, saying, “I shall have no faith in Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, nor shall I worship them”.
Videos of the event and the initiation started doing the rounds on social media and one clip, where people were asked to vow not to worship Hindu gods and goddesses, nor to follow Hindu rituals, courted controversy.
The mass conversion event, called Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din, is a yearly event marking Dr BR Ambedkar’s conversion to Lord Buddha’s faith in October 1956 along with lakhs of followers.
The BJP has condemned the participation of the AAP minister, calling it an insult to Hinduism and Buddhism. The BJP’s Delhi unit tweeted the video, accusing the AAP minister of “spewing venom” against Hindus.
“See how Kejriwal’s minister is spewing venom against Hindus. The anti-Hindu face of the electoral Hindu Kejriwal and AAP has come in front of everyone. The public will soon give a befitting reply to the anti-Hindu AAP. Shame on you, Kejriwal,” it tweeted.
BJP Delhi chief Adesh Gupta has filed a police complaint ‘social media posts’ by Gautam “provocative, exasperating, mischievous in nature”.
“These social media posts are created with the obvious motive of inciting violence and promoting hatred against Hindutwa and Hindu religion, which subsequently is motivated to provoke them,” his complaint said.
Gupta also said that no religion taught us to hate other religions. But what has been done by the AAP has crossed all limit.
Gupta also took a dig at Arvind Kejriwal, questioning why he goes to temples during elections when his minister is “making people take an oath” against Hindu Gods.
“Once again the anti-Hindu face of AAP exposed.
@ArvindKejriwal The ministers are making people take an oath that I will not believe in any Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh!
So what do you go to temples to show during elections?
Does Hinduism sting so much in AAP’s eyes? Why so much hate?” he tweeted in Hindi.
BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana, sharing the clip, alleged that this showed the duplicity of the AAP party, as they pray to them during elections. “This is the duplicity of @AamAadmiParty. In the state where elections are held there
@ArvindKejriwal and his henchmen do not tire of saying Jai Shri Ram and Jai Shri Krishna. But where they are in power, how their ministers (listen yourself) insult our favored deities,” he said in a tweet, adding that they would be filing a police complaint regarding this.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari echoed Gupta’s point of view. He said, “AAP ministers are attempting to incite riots. The minister should immediately be removed from the party. We’re submitting a complaint against him.”
Rajendra Pal Gautam, who serves as the Social Welfare Minister in the Delhi Cabinet, shot back, reminding the BJP of constitutional rights. “BJP is anti-national. I have faith in Buddhism, why does anyone have trouble with it? Let them complain. The constitution gives us the freedom to follow any religion. BJP is afraid of AAP. They can only lodge fake cases against us,” he said.
The AAP minister, however, defended his said, saying that he has faith in Buddhism and nobody can force him to follow a religion.
“Those who do caste based politics are traitors, they don’t have any other agenda. They think they have exclusive rights over a religion. They are asking why AAP workers go to temples. Well, those who have faith will go. I have faith in Buddhism, I will go there. No one can force me to follow a religion,” Mr Gautam added.
The event was organised by the Jai Bheem Mission – founded by Mr Gautam – where nearly 7000 people, mostly Dalits, embraced Buddhism. The event was also attended by the great-grandnephew of BR Ambedkar, Rajratna Ambedkar.
Around 10 thousand people gathered at Ambedkar Bhavan in Delhi and took part in an initiation to convert to Buddhism on 5 October, the occasion of Dussehra, when Ashok Vijayadashmi is also
celebrated.
