Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, who was seen taking an oath denouncing several Hindu gods at an event, resigned from the council of ministers on Sunday.
Gautam, Social Welfare Minister in Arvind Kejriwal ministry, converted to Buddhism in a religious conversion event in which he allegedly denounced Hindu deities. Taking to Twitter, Gautam announced his resignation and said, “Today I have been freed from many shackles, and been born again. Now I will continue to fight for rights and atrocities on the society more firmly without any restrictions.”
He tendered his resignation in a letter typed on his letterhead. However, the letter was not addressed to anyone in particular. The minister’s resignation came after severe criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused the ruling government in the state of hurting religious sentiments and demanded that the party remove the legislator from his position.
Gautam in his letter wrote that the BJP has been targeting several sections of the society for political gains, and he cannot be a mute spectator to that. However, he does not want his actions to cause any inconvenience to party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“I am Rajendra Pal Gautam, a true patriot and follower of Ambedkar. For the last few years, I am constantly seeing that the honour of the sisters and daughters of my society is being looted and they are killed. At some places there are killings for honour, at other places on entering the temple and touching the idol. They are being beaten to death with humiliation. Even children are being brutally murdered for touching a pot of water. My heart is pierced every day by incidents of such caste discrimination,” he wrote in a letter.
“In my personal capacity, I attended the Buddhist Dhamma initiation ceremony organized by Mission Jai Bhim and Buddhist Society of India on 5 October 2022 at Ambedkar Bhawan, Rani Jhansi Road on the occasion of Ashoka Vijayadashami, being a member of the society. It had no connection with with the Aam Aadmi Party and I being a council of minister,” he said.
The AAP leader said that the 22 vows of Babasaheb were repeated by Babasaheb’s great-grandson Raj Ratna Ambedkar, which he repeated along with more than 10,000 people.
“After that I see that BJP is targeting our leader Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party. It is sad for me. Arvind Kejriwal ji has given me a lot of respect and cooperation, for which I will always be grateful to him. I sincerely appreciate the steps taken by the party for education, health, electricity, water, employment, women and child safety and social welfare to strengthen India. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s dreams will come true only by following this path,” he added.
“As a true soldier of the party, I will live my live by the constitutional values shown by Buddha and Saheb. I will fight the fight for the rights of my sisters and daughters and the people of the society with great gusto. Some people of Manuwadi mindset are threatening to harm my life and property on social media and phone and I am not afraid. I will fight the fight for the rights and rights of my society with great strength and strength. If I have to give myself in this fight for the rights of the society, but I will not let this fight stop,” he added.
He further said that he attended the Buddhist Dhamma initiation ceremony but it has nothing to with the AAP.