On Tuesday, 2nd July, BJP MP Santosh Pandey from Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, slammed Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for targeting the Hindu community and calling them violent.
Santosh Pandey, a BJP MP from Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, stated that Rahul Gandhi was exhibiting an image of Lord Shiva in the Lok Sabha and on the other hand his own party CM in Chhattisgarh was betting in the name of Mahadev. The BJP MP, without mentioning Bhupesh Baghel, stated that the public defeated him in the Lok Sabha elections.
Pandey, further, without mentioning any specific religion indicated that major crimes that happened in the recent past had been committed against Hindus. “You are calling Hindus violent? I want to ask who killed Praveen Nettaru in Karnataka. Who beheaded Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan? Who attacked Amarnath pilgrims in Kashmir? You have crossed your limits in the Parliament yesterday. The community will not forget this and will never forgive you,” Santosh Pandey said.
On 1st July, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi provoked outrage in the Lok Sabha with his controversial remarks, forcing a rare intervention from Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Speaking in parliament, Gandhi claimed that individuals who identified as Hindus only talked about violence, bigotry, and lies, prompting Prime Minister Modi to interrupt.
“Those who call themselves Hindu only talk about violence, hatred, untruth,” Gandhi was quoted as saying. To this, PM Modi raised serious objection to Rahul Gandhi’s comments saying, “Calling the entire Hindu community violent is a very serious matter.”
Gandhi also showed Lord Shiva’s picture in the House after he attacked BJP saying Hinduism is not about spreading fear, hatred, and falsehoods. Further, he displayed placards featuring images of Guru Nanak and Jesus Christ. He was also carrying a placard featuring a quote from the Quran. “All our great men have spoken about non-violence and ending fear. But, those who call themselves Hindu only talk about violence, hatred, and untruth,” Gandhi said, adding, “Aap Hindu ho hi nahi.” (You are not a Hindu).
Union Minister Amit Shah meanwhile criticized Rahul Gandhi’s comment, insisting on an apology. “The Leader of the Opposition has clearly stated that those who identify as Hindu speak of and commit violence. He is unaware that millions proudly call themselves Hindu. Associating violence with any religion is wrong. He should apologize,” he stated.