Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), on 1 July, made deplorable remarks about Hindus in Parliament. He said in the middle of his lecture that those who identify as Hindus constantly engage in acts of violence and bigotry. Later, opposition leaders attempted damage control by saying that Gandhi referred to the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and not the entire Hindu Samaj.
Even if one gives Rahul Gandhi the benefit of the doubt, his remarks in a speech rife with hatred towards the supposedly Hindu agenda of the BJP and the entire Hindutva activism ecosystem, meaning Hindus who dared to speak about their rights or bring up Hindu problems in politics. According to him, a Hindu is a good one when he/she silently endures all the atrocities heaped upon them.
The statement has caused uproar across the country, and severe condemnation has been received from various BJP and NDA leaders. After receiving immediate flak in the parliament, the statement was expunged from the record. PM Modi raised severe objection to Rahul Gandhi’s comments, saying, “Calling the entire Hindu community violent is a grave matter.” Union Minister Amit Shah criticized Rahul Gandhi’s comment, insisting on an apology.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw criticized Rahul Gandhi for his comments in the Lok Sabha, claiming that the latter had descended into irresponsibility by assuming the LoP’s role and making careless statements.
Swami Avdheshanand Giri denounced Rahul Gandhi’s comments on Hindus. The Congress leader was also criticized for disparaging and demeaning the entire community. He emphasized that Rahul Gandhi, the opposition leader, had insulted and denigrated the Hindu community by labelling Hindus ‘dangerous’ and accusing them of inciting hatred.
According to Swami Giri, Rahul Gandhi’s comments have offended the saint community and damaged the entire community’s feelings. The well-known Hindu seer further insisted that the Gandhi scion retract his statements and issue an apology.
Further, on 2 July, PM Modi made a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi while speaking on the motion of thanks on the president’s address. “People will not forgive these people for applauding when their ally likens Hindu Dharma to dengue and malaria,” the PM said. Their ecology has developed a tendency to mistreat, disparage, and mock Hindus, their customs, society, and culture, as well as to minimize their heritage, all as part of a well-thought-out plot. Additionally, these elements are shielding them for political advantage, he said.
Rahul Gandhi came under fire from BJP MP Santosh Pandey of Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon for allegedly branding the Hindu community dangerous. Furthermore, Pandey stated that significant atrocities against Hindus had been done recently without mentioning any particular religion. “Are you referring to Hindus as violent? In Karnataka, I would like to know who killed Praveen Nettaru. Who in Rajasthan decapitated Kanhaiya Lal? Who attacked the pilgrims at Amarnath in Kashmir? Yesterday in the Parliament, you went too far,” Santosh Pandey declared. He added that the community will never forgive you or forget this.
Bihar BJP leader, Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, criticized Rahul Gandhi for clearly taking an anti-Hindu stance and said it reflected the anti-Hindu mentality of other INDI alliance bloc leaders. Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, the Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel from BJP Andhra Pradesh stated that Rahul Gandhi’s remarks against Hindus in the Lok Sabha as the Leader of the Opposition were improper. He said Rahul Gandhi needed to apologize for his comments, which offended Hindus publicly.
During a press conference, BJP spokesperson Lanka Dinakar accused Rahul Gandhi of adhering to the divide-and-rule strategy. He declared, “Rahul Gandhi has been demonizing Hindus since the beginning, and it has become a habit for him.” Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal claimed that the Congress leader had gone insane due to the BJP’s constant humiliation of his party.
In response to Rahul Gandhi’s speech in the Lok Sabha, Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Choudhary claimed that Rahul was diminishing the dignity of Parliament by disseminating lies. He informed the media that Rahul had misled about several topics rather than talking about President Draupadi Murmu’s speech to the Lok Sabha. Rahul called Hindus violent and cruel during his speech, insulting them. He also made up facts about Ayodhya, farmers, and Agniveer. “He can’t disrespect Hindus, and he should apologize to the nation’s citizens,” Choudhary said.
The Delhi BJP, led by Tejasvi Surya, protested outside Congress headquarters against Rahul Gandhi for the derogatory remarks made on Hindus. Goa BJP Yuva Morcha on Tuesday (2 July) burnt the effigy in Panaji. A demonstration was staged just before the capital city’s Congress office, and BJP youngsters and its MLAs turned out in force. MLA Ulhas Tuenkar stated that while everyone cherishes their faith, they reject LoP Rahul Gandhi’s remarks disparaging Hindus.
In Karnataka’s Mangaluru, BJP leader Satish Prabhu strongly condemned the statement, addressing a press conference. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) members burnt an effigy of Rahul Gandhi in Jammu. The protest was organized by their president, Arun Prabhat. In Jamshedpur, Leading BJP politician Abhay Singh organized a demonstration against the LoP’s remarks in Lok Sabha. Hindu leaders burned an effigy of Rahul Gandhi as part of a democratic demonstration at Sakchi Roundabout during the protest.
In Prayagraj, VHP workers condemned the anti-Hindu statement by Rahul Gandhi and submitted a memorandum to the district authorities saying he should apologize to the crores of Hindus worldwide. RSS national media head Sunil Ambekar said such a statement about Hindutva is regrettable. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also lashed out at Gandhi for the contentious statement in the parliament.
Even legal action has been initiated in this regard in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur court on grounds of hurting the sentiments of the Hindu community. Divyanshu Kishore filed the case, and the court has admitted his plea and scheduled the next hearing for July 15.
While it is heartening to see such a downpour of resistance and attack against a sinister statement demeaning Hindus, we need to make it a point to awaken the pro-Hindu politicians to take up any such issue of attack and denigration of Hindu dharma and our devi/devatas to stop the ideological and moral onslaught on our society and culture.
(Featured Image Source: IANS)
