Banners calling Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal “anti-Hindu” and showing him in a Muslim prayer cap were pasted in several Gujarat cities, PTI reported.
Kejriwal is in the state to campaign for his party ahead of the Assembly elections that will take place in December.
Along with Kejriwal’s pictures, the banners carried lines like “I consider Hindu religion as madness”, “I will not believe in Brahma, Vishnu, Ram and Krishna” and “I will not do ‘shraddha pind daan’ or any other Hindu ritual”, according to PTI.
These posters cropped up in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara a day after a video was shared on social media of Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam attending an event in Delhi where some Hindus vowed to convert to Buddhism.
While Aam Aadmi Party has not issued a statement on the remarks, Gautam has said that he has only repeated vows taken by BR Ambedkar that include a pledge for equality and no faith in deities.
On Friday, the Bharatiya Janata Party claimed that people will teach the Aam Aadmi Party a lesson in Assembly elections because of Gautam’s remarks.
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.”
Meanwhile, BJP supporters in Gujarat’s Vadodara tore Aam Aadmi Party’s campaign banners, ahead of Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s rally in the city, NDTV reported.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Durgesh Pathak described the protests as “hooliganism of BJP”.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!