New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) With an eye on Hindu voters, the ruling AAP and the Opposition BJP on Tuesday crossed swords over characters of the ‘Ramayana’, with the latter accusing the former Chief Minister of disrespecting Hindu deities.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva visited the Hanuman Temple at Connaught Place to offer prayers to Shri Ram Darbar, Lord Hanuman, and Sant Tulsidas and told Kejriwal to stop playing with Hindu sentiments.
He sought forgiveness for Kejriwal who, according to Sachdeva, recently shared a misrepresentation of the Ramayana, thereby disrespecting Lord Sitaram and hurting the sentiments of millions of Hindus.
Sachdeva also decided to observe a symbolic fast on Tuesday as an act of prayer while continuing with his regular activities.
Kejriwal countered by accusing the BJP of possessing traits like demon king Ravana and warned slum dwellers and the poor in Delhi not to trust the BJP. “If the BJP comes to power, it will swallow the poor like a demon,” he said, addressing a press conference.
He said the BJP leaders were holding a protest outside his house because he had described the golden deer – central to ‘Sita Haran’ in Ramayana – as Ravana.
“They say the deer was not Ravana but Mareech and I have disrespected Ravana by calling him the golden deer. I am shocked to see the BJP leaders’ love for Ravana. I guess, it is so because they themselves have traits like demon king Ravana,” said Kejriwal.
He also hit out at the BJP’s Sankalp Patra Part-2 and warned poor families in Delhi that the BJP may stop free education for all in government schools and free treatment in Mohalla Clinics, adding that a withdrawal of welfare schemes will burden each family with an expenditure of Rs 15,000 a month.
The BJP accused Kejriwal of spreading lies and reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantees of giving houses to slum dwellers and continuing all free welfare schemes, along with Rs 2,500 per month to women, when its government comes to power after the February 5 Assembly election.
Earlier, during Sachdeva’s temple visit he was accompanied by Member of Parliament Yogender Chandolia, Media Head Praveen Shankar Kapoor and Vikram Mittal.
While addressing journalists after the visit, Sachdeva said that it is unfortunate that ‘political Hindus’ like Kejriwal, out of ignorance, “narrate false stories during election campaigns, hurting religious sentiments and disrespecting the sanctity of our deities.”
Sachdeva also reminded people of Kejriwal’s election speeches from 2015 to 2023, in which he shared stories of his grandmother expressing sorrow over the Babri structure’s demolition and his opposition to temple construction.
“This is the same Arvind Kejriwal who will forever be remembered for his suggestion to replace temples with hospitals, as part of his anti-temple rhetoric,” he added.
–IANS
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