New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi’s mention that Lord Ram is a mythological figure irks the BJP. The saffron party attacked the veteran Congress leader, claiming that Rahul’s statement exposed his party's "anti-Hindu face", PTI reports.
During an interaction at a US university last month, Gandhi rejected the BJP's idea of what constitutes a Hindu and asserted all great Indian social reformers and political thinkers -- Jyotirao Phule, BR Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and even Guru Nanak, Basava and Budhha -- said the same thing, "Carry everybody with you, Satya (truth) and ahimsa (non-violence)."
"This, to me, is the bedrock of Indian tradition and history. I don't know of one person whom we consider great in India who wasn't of this type. I can't think of one. All are mythological figures. Lord Ram was of that time, where he was forgiving, he was compassionate," the Congress leader had said.
He made the remarks after being asked how secular politics should be formulated in an era dominated by Hindu nationalism.
Reacting to Gandhi's remarks, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari called the former Congress chief "anti-Hindu" and asked him to change his party's name to "anti-Hindu Congress".
"Rahul Gandhi is the same person who had said Congress is the party of Muslims. The party that used words like Hindu terrorism, did not believe in the existence of Lord Ram and made every possible effort to not build the Ram temple in Ayodhya, its anti-Hindu face stands exposed today in front of more than 100 crore Hindus of the country," he told PTI.
Gandhi's remarks show that he takes Hindu sentiments for granted, and he charges.
"Rahul Gandhi has also made it clear that the more a person abuses Hindus, Sanatan Dharma and Lord Ram, the more the chances are of such a person getting a promotion in the Congress. It is because Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are anti-Lord Ram and anti-Hindu by essence and characteristic," Bhandari said.
People of the country have rejected those who are anti-Sanatan, the opposition parties' "INDI alliance", and Rahul Gandhi and will continue to do so, he asserted.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh termed Gandhi's remarks "unfortunate" and asked how the Congress leader would understand Lord Ram while looking at him through an "Italian" lens.
"Rahul Gandhi has been continuously insulting India's culture, history and great personalities. People of the country will teach a lesson to those who are anti-Lord Ram," he told PTI.
Accusing Gandhi of insulting Lord Ram and Hindus, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged the Congress had not only become an anti-national party but an anti-Hindu party as well.
More leaders of the saffron party issued an attack against Rahul.