The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday asked the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to sack minister Rajendra Pal Gautam after a video showed him attending an event in Delhi where around Hindus took oath to convert to Buddhism, reported PTI.
On Wednesday, Gautam, the social welfare minister in the Delhi government and founder of anti-caste group Mission Jai Bheem, was seen at the event where participants took oath that they would not pray to Hindu gods and goddesses.
Guatam himself shared photographs of the event, saying that 10,000 intellectuals took a pledge to make a caste-free and untouchable India by returning to the Buddhist faith.
Mission Jai Bheem describes itself as an organisation inspired by Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s idea of breaking away from caste system and embracing Buddhism.
At a press conference on Friday, BJP Delhi president Adesh Gupta said if Kejriwal is secular, he should sack Gautam.
“We are going to file a complaint against him [Gautam],” Gupta said. “Such a person does not have the right to be a member of the Cabinet or even a party for that matter.”
BJP Lok Sabha MP Manoj Tiwari alleged that the event was an attempt to incite hatred among Hindus and Buddhists.
“Look at any behaviour of the current BJP government,” Tiwari said. “We believe all religions are equal and everybody has the right to follow any faith. However, AAP’s minister was conspiring to incite a riot in the national capital.”
On BJP’s criticism, Gautam said the outfit was anti-national.
“If I believe in Buddhism, what is wrong with that? Gautam told ANI. “If the BJP has to complain, they can. The Constitution of India gives us the freedom to follow any religion. The BJP is losing ground and it is afraid of the Aam Aadmi Party.”
The Aam Aadmi Party has not reacted to the matter yet.
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