Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], July 6 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that Congress and its allies in INDIA bloc will defeat BJP in Gujarat assembly polls like they had defeated it in Ayodhya in the Lok Sabha polls.
Addressing party workers in Ahmedabad, Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, referred to BJP losing in Lok Sabha constituency that includes Ayodhya, and claimed that INDIA alliance had defeated the movement started by former BJP chief LK Advani.
Advani had carried out rath yatra in 1990 to mobilise support for the movement to construct a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. BJP has said that the yatra also sought to raise questions over prevailing debate concerning “secularism” and “communalism” and for rejecting “cult of minorityism”.
The BJP lost the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency, which includes Ayodhya, in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls.
“Together we are going to defeat them in Gujarat. We will defeat Narendra Modi and BJP in Gujarat just like we defeated them in Ayodhya,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Referring to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ram Temple in Ayodhya in January this year, Raul Gandhi claimed that no poor person was visible at the event.
“I was wondering in the Parliament that they inaugurated the Ram Temple. Adani and Ambani were visible at the inauguration but any poor person was not seen there,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“The farmers of Ayodhya lost their land when the Airport was built. The people of Ayodhya were upset that no one from Ayodhya was invited to the inauguration of the Ram Temple… The movement which was started by Advani Ji, whose centre was Ayodhya, INDIA Alliance has defeated that movement in Ayodhya,” he said.
The Congress leader arrived in Ahmedabad earlier in the day to meet party workers and victims of the Rajkot Gaming Zone tragedy.
Members of the Bajrang Dal staged a protest against Rahul Gandhi’s remarks pertaining to Hinduism during his speech in the Lok Sabha. The protesters were detained by the Gujarat Police.
Assembly polls in Gujarat will be held in 2027. (ANI)
Gujarat: Bajrang Dal members detained while protesting against Rahul Gandhi’s “anti-Hindu” remark in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], July 6 (ANI): Members of the Bajrang Dal staged a protest against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Ahmbedabad on Saturday, over his alleged “anti-Hindu” remarks in the Parliament.
During the demonstration, the Bajrang Dal members raised slogans against Rahul Gandhi over his comments on the Hindu community. Following this, several protesters were detained by the Gujarat Police.
The cadres were chanting slogans of Jai Shri Ram and also tried to burn the effigy of Rahul Gandhi. However, the police stopped them and detained the workers.
Joint Commissioner of Police, Neeraj Badgujar, said Bajrang Dal members have been detained and required force have been deployed in the region to maintain peace.
“The required police force has been deployed. There is peace now. The Bajrang Dal workers had come out in protest, but they are being detained by the police,” Badgujar told ANI.
Last week, Rahul Gandhi, in his speech in the Lok Sabha accused the BJP and RSS of “spreading violence and hatred”. Targetting the BJP government, he alleged there has been “a systematic attack” on the idea of India.
He also connected the Hindu symbol ‘Abhayamudra’ which gestures fearlessness, reassurance and safety, with the symbol of the Congress party.
Rahul’s remarks drew protests from the Treasury benches. BJP members took strong objection to Rahul Gandhi’s remark and accused Rahul of insulting Hindu religion by connecting it with violence.
The BJP leaders accused the Congress MP “of speaking lies, misleading the House and terming the entire Hindu community violent”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at Rahul Gandhi over his remarks and said calling “the entire Hindu community violent is a very serious matter”.
In response, Rahul Gandhi hit back stating BJP is “not the entire Hindu society.”
“Narendra Modi is not entire Hindu society. BJP is not the entire Hindu society, RSS is not the entire society, this is not BJP’s contract,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi arrived in Ahmemabad today to meet his party cadre, as well as the families of victims of the Rajkot Gaming Zone tragedy.
28 people were killed in the TRP Game Zone fire incident, which happened on June 25.
Last week, Congress alleged that several members associated with BJP, Bajrang Dal, and Vishwa Hindu Parishad vandalised Congress office in Ahmedabad by throwing stones at it.
Congress spokesperson Hemang Raval, told ANI that the office was vandalised in protest against Rahul Gandhi’s comments in Parliament after which the police filed a complaint in the matter. (ANI)
