Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has linked the sanctity of the Constitution with the act of reconsecration, by Ganga Jal, of the Ram Mandir by BJP leader Gyan Dev Ahuja after the entry of Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan assembly Tika Ram Jully.
Viewing the development that took place during Ram Navmi festivity in Alwar last weekend as “another instance of the BJP’s “Manuwadi and anti-Dalit mind set, Gandhi took a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, “Modi ji, the country has to be ruled by the constitution and its ideals (provisions), not by the Manusmriti, that treats Bahujans (Dalit – OBCs) as second class citizens.”
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The former Congress president took to his X handle to express his dismay over the incident “of hate politics” against Tika Ram Jully, a Dalit.
Gandhi, on Wednesday, retweeted a detailed comment posted by the AICC on Tuesday condemning the incident as anti-Dalit hate politics. He wrote: “BJP has continuously been insulting Dalits and attacking the constitution, therefore, it is not enough to respect the constitution but it is also required to be safeguarded and protected.
LoP Jully had visited the Ram Temple to pay obeisance to the deity during a Ram Navmi function on Sunday. This didn’t go well with senior BJP leader and former legislator Ahuja. He expressed his displeasure with the organisers of the function saying, “They had invited those (people) who did not accept the existence of Lord Ram… Who had boycotted Ram Mandir.”
“This,” he said, “has deconsecrated the temple, therefore, I shall give a Ganga-Jal wash to the temple for its re-consecration.
Ahuja, then, went on to sprinkle Ganga-Jal to reconsecrate the temple.
The act evoked a sharp reaction from the principal Opposition party and its leadership in the state as well as at the national level.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC), in a communique on Monday evening, strongly condemned the step taken by Ahuja, calling it a bid of furthering “hate politics”.
The party’s Rajasthan unit had given a call for agitation. Accordingly, dharnas were held and effigies of Ahuja were burnt at several district locations in Jodhpur, Alwar, Bharatpur, Kotputli, Rajsamand and Jalore on Tuesday.
