Congress has repeatedly displayed its anti-Hindu nature. The latest instance is of Telangana’s Congress MLA Anil Kumar Reddy. A poster by Reddy to wish for Bakri Eid shows the image of a cow. This appears to be a deliberate attempt to hurt Hindu sentiments. The poster has images of several leaders, including Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra, Kharge and other leaders.

The poster shows the silhouette of a cow with the image of a masjid in the foreground. This cannot be taken as an oversight. Anil Kumar Reddy would know that Hindus revere the cow, and using its image is nothing but provocation. Reddy has remained true to Congress’ Hinduphobic nature.

Here are other instances of Congress’ Hinduphobia:

1) In April, saffron flags and posters were removed in Rajasthan’s Jaipur after the Congress submitted a complaint citing the Model Code of Conduct.

2) Nana Patole, in his attempt to target UP CM Yogi Adityanath, used the anecdote of Ravana wearing ‘saffron robes’ to abduct Maa Sita. He remarked that CM Yogi supported ‘wrong policies’ while donning saffron.

3) Nana Patole courted controversy through his statement on the ‘suddhikaran’ (purification) of Sri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. He said the ‘suddhikaran’ would be done through the four Shankaracharyas.

4) Karnataka Congress leader Satish Jarikholi, who is now a cabinet minister in the Siddaramaiah government, had said in a public event that ‘Hindu’ is a ‘vulgar’ word and does not have its origins in India.

5) In April 2021, ex-minister P. Chidambaram, who coined the term ‘saffron terrorism’, tweeted terming Sanatan Dharma a ‘toxic ideology’.

Given the party’s history, Anil Kumar Reddy’s poster doesn’t come as a surprise. It is for the Hindu Samaj to call for collective accountability from such leaders. Even though top Congress leaders undertake temple runs during election time, the DNA of the party is inherently anti-Hindu.

Update

(This article was updated with information on Anil Kumar’s apology on 18 June 2024 at 10.30 AM)

Reacting to this, BJP MLA Rajsingh stated on X, “Congress has once again hurt Hindu sentiments, despite knowing that cow slaughter is banned.” The image quickly drew widespread condemnation and outrage from the Hindu community and various social and political groups. Many individuals took to social media to express their anger and disappointment, calling the image a deliberate attempt to insult and provoke Hindu sentiments. The backlash was swift and intense, demanding accountability and respect for religious symbols.

In response to the mounting criticism, MLA Kumbam Anil Kumar Reddy released a video statement expressing regret for the image. He acknowledged the offensive nature of the poster and apologized for any hurt caused to the Hindu community, emphasizing that the intent was not to disrespect any religion or its symbols. Following the apology, the MLA’s team immediately altered the greeting message. The revised poster was shared on social media, omitting the offensive image and aiming to convey a ‘respectful’ message. Despite these corrective measures, the incident has negatively impacted public sentiment.

Similarly, Congress MLA Uttam Padmavati, Uttam Kumar Reddy’s wife, Telangana’s Minister for Irrigation, Food & Civil Supplies, posted on Facebook supporting and endorsing cow slaughter. In response to this objectionable content, Dr Shashidar, joint secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Telangana, told Organiser, “Despite Telangana High Court’s orders on the sanctity of cows, the Congress MLA and its leaders’ festive greetings are highly objectionable, revealing their appeasement politics. This is a deliberate mockery of Hindu beliefs and reflects a lack of empathy and a disregard for respect and understanding. CM Revant Reddy should initiate suo moto action against his party members involved in hurting the sentiments of Hindus.”