References to Hindu Gods and Deities are performing better than the politicians in the communal pitch of contemporary politics. Courting controversy through their statements on Hindu Gods and Goddesses have become a part-time activity for the current and former politicians.
Adding to the woes of the Congress, former union home minister and senior Congress leader Shivraj Patil yesterday said that the concept of ‘Jihad’ is also mentioned in Gita. ‘Addressing the audience that comprised none other than Shashi Tharoor, Digvijaya Singh along with Farooq Abdullah and Sushil Kumar Shinde, the former Punjab Governor said, “It is said there's a lot of discussion on jihad in Islam. Even after all the efforts, if someone doesn't understand the clean idea, power can be used. It's mentioned in Quran and Gita.”
Without putting a stop here, he continued, “Shri Krishna gave lessons of jihad to Arjuna in a part of Gita in Mahabharat.”
Patil was speaking at the launch of a biography of former union minister and senior Congress leader Mohsina Kidwai in Delhi.
BJP Attacks on Patil
Without losing a moment to make a controversy out of it, Shehzad Jai Hind, the spokesperson of BJP condemned Congress for its ‘Hindu hatred’. Taking a dig at AAP and Congress together prior to the Gujarat elections he tweeted, “After AAP’s Gopal Italia and Rajendra Pal, not to be outdone in Hindu hatred and vote-bank politics, Congress’ Shivraj Patil says Shri Krishna taught jihad to Arjun!”
Upholding the alleged Hindu-baiter status of Congress he added, “Rahul Gandhi also said things about Hindutva; said LeT less dangerous than Hindu groups; Digvijaya blamed 26/11 on Hindus.”
However, this is not the first time that the Congress leaders steeped into controversies over their alleged comments on Hindu Gods. A look back at a few events where Congress leaders’ comments took the social media to storms may help us understand how balls swing in a communal pitch.
Controversy over Ram Mandir comment
Back in May, former chief of Gujarat state Congress Bharatsinh Solanki stepped in the restricted zone criticising the BJP for not giving any accounts of crores of money that they are gathering for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
He also accused the Government of collecting money despite having the required budget. However, until this the matter didn’t go out of hand . But his additions that the bricks that people across the country have sent for the construction of the Mandir could be found being urinated upon by dogs made the situation worse.
“These bricks were stored in villages to be used for the construction of the temple. But you must have seen dogs urinating on them,” Solanki said.
In response to the comment, the leader of the Patidar community Hardik Patel who came to the limelight after his agitations over the reservation for his community stirred violent in Gujarat said, “I have said earlier as well that the Congress party works to hurt the sentiments of the people, always tries to damage the faith of Hindu religion. Today, a former Union Minister and Gujarat Congress leader made a statement that dogs urinate on bricks meant for the Ram temple!”
Patel who earlier joined Congress only to leave it soon continued, “I want to ask the Congress and its leaders what enmity they have with Lord Shri Ram. Why hate the Hindus so much? After centuries, a temple for Lord Shri Ram is being built in Ayodhya. Yet the leaders of Congress keep making statements against Lord Shri Ram.”
Jesus as God Remarks: Now It’s Rahul Gandhi
Closer to our time, last month, Congress leader and former President of the party evoked controversy during his early days of long-drawn Bharat Jodo Yatra. In the very first leg of the Yatra, Gandhi met controversial Catholic priest George Ponnaiah in Kanyakumari.
A video clip of the Congress leader with the priest went viral where he was found asking, “Jesus Christ is a form of God? Is that right?”. To which the priest found responding “God reveals himself as a man, not like Shakti. So, we see a human person.”
The meeting of Gandhi with Ponnaiah who was arrested in July for his alleged hate speech against PM Modi, Amit Shah and other DMK leaders and has been known for his provocative speeches pushed the initial leg of the Yatra into controversies.
Reacting strongly to the comments of the priest and criticising Gandhi for meeting him, the BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala asked, “Bharat Jodo with Bharat Todo Icons?”
'Lord Krishna Sent Corona'
In the early days of Covid 19 pandemic, Congress was found itself ordering its own cards as one of it went astray. Addressing a television debate, Uttarakhand Congress leader Suryakant Dhasmana steeped into controversy saying that the lord Krishna had sent Corona.
His analogy was further substantiated by the logic that both of Krishna and Corona starts with ‘K’. The leader’s statement immediately created repercussions in Twitter leading to some users asking, “Why do Congress leaders routinely spread hatred against Hindu Gods?”
These were just a few recent incidents at the National level. The local incidents if are taken into consideration, one can see how Hindu Gods have been used as a pivot to court controversies and political strife.
