The chief critic of the BJP, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday retaliated to the criticism that the BJP had levelled against him for his remarks on the Sikh community in a speech in the US. Responding to the issue on the social media platform X, Gandhi complained that the BJP was trying to misquote him and spread wrong information.
In the October 1 presser, Gandhi shared a clip from his September 10 address and asked, “Is there anything wrong in what I said?” For this reason, isn’t every Sikh, and every Indian for that matter, should be allowed to practice their faith freely? He further stated that BJP wants to gag him because they cannot stomach the truth and he would continue to raise voice for unity in India.
As he spoke to the Indian Americans in Virginia, Gandhi detailed the discrimination faced by minorities in India and accused the RSS of supporting a plan that discriminates against some religions and communities. He stressed especially that every community should be allowed to keep their customs and even languages.
Mr. Gandhi’s remark, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri called as “sinister”, saying that Mr Gandhi has been playing with the Sikh diaspora. Puri said many Sikhs in diaspora were ignorant about the ground situation in India and that Gandhi’s story will be damaging for the society. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also joined the fray and attacked Gandhi saying that such statements are prejudicial to the interests of the country and its image in the international community.
Both ministers rejected Gandhi’s allegations saying that the Sikh community in India is honoured to practice religion and is invaluable to the country. Singh also stated that what Gandhi said was not only misleading but also baseless.
