Row erupts over AAP minister's presence at 'religious conversion' event
BJP asks Kejriwal to sack him
New Delhi(PTI): A political row erupted on Friday after a purported video of AAP minister Rajendra Pal Gautam at a "religious conversion" event went viral in which hundreds can be heard taking an oath denouncing Hindu deities, with the BJP launching an attack on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and asking him to sack his cabinet colleague.
Sources in the Aam Aadmi Party claimed that the chief minister was "extremely displeased" with Gautam. However, an immediate response was not available either from the chief minister or the Delhi government.
Gautam is the social welfare minister in the Arvind Kejriwal government.
At a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accused the AAP of hurting the sentiments of Hindus and alleged that "Gautam's comments highlight the hate" the party has for the community".
Bhatia claimed that the minister's alleged comments were made at the behest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
During the programme, around 10,000 people reportedly took vows to convert to Buddhism to follow Lord Buddha's teachings and give up worship of Hindu deities.
On October 5, Gautam himself had also tweeted the pictures of the event, saying more than 10,000 people pledged to join Buddhism and work for making India free from casteism and untouchability.
Gautam, in a programme at Central Delhi's Karol Bagh on Dussehra, showed "disrespect" towards Hindu deities in the presence of thousands of people, Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta charged during a press conference.
"This is not an isolated incident, it is in the character of the AAP to insult and disrespect Hindu gods and goddesses. We demand that Kejriwal should immediately expel Gautam from his cabinet," Gupta said.
Gupta also led a party delegation to file a complaint with the police here in the matter.
BJP MP Manoj Tiwari also demanded Gautam's sacking, claiming his action could lead to animosity between Hindu and Buddhist communities.
Hitting out at Gautam, West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma accused him of indulging in "mass religious conversion".
"Every day news of conversions comes from AAP-ruled Punjab. Similarly, Kejriwal's minister Rajendra Pal is now conducting a mass conversion of people in Delhi," Verma said in a tweet.
Bhatia said the comments were made due to "vote bank" politics in light of the coming elections, he said.
"How low you will stoop for votes, Kejriwal," he asked. Bhatia said every Hindu has faith in their gods and claimed that the minister's comments are a blow to national integrity.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad also slammed Gautam and demanded his sacking.
The RSS affiliate also urged the Delhi Police and Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to take "strictest action" against Gautam, alleging that administering of oaths to people at the event attended by the minister hurt the sentiments of Hindus.
The VHP also targeted Kejriwal and demanded an apology from him, alleging that his minister's participation in the event has exposed his "hypocrisy".
"We do not have any problem with people embracing Buddhism at the event. Hinduism and Buddhism are not separate. But the way our gods and goddesses were openly scorned at the event is not acceptable," VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said.
The Delhi minister was openly administering such oaths to people from the dias at the event and "tearing the country's secularism into pieces", he charged, referring to the purported footage circulating on social media.
"We demand that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sack the minister," the VHP leader said.
"With his misdemeanour, Gautam has insulted the same goddess Lakshmi and god Ganesha whom Kejriwal worships on every Diwali in a showoff. He has exposed Kejriwal's hypocrisy," he charged.
Kejriwal must apologize to people for being "such a hypocrite" the VHP leader said.
"People have freedom to embrace the religion of their choice but nobody has the right to spew venom against Hindu gods and goddesses organising such an event for conversion. It's condemnable, unconstitutional and hurting to Hindu sentiments," he said.
देखिए, किस तरह केजरीवाल का मंत्री हिंदुओं के विरूद्ध ज़हर उगल रहा है। चुनावी हिन्दू केजरीवाल और AAP का हिंदू विरोधी चेहरा सबके सामने आ गया है। जनता जल्द हिंदू विरोधी AAP को उचित जवाब देगी। शर्म करो केजरीवाल। pic.twitter.com/vYhmXJtbaq
— BJP Delhi (@BJP4Delhi) October 7, 2022
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
