New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his “Sikh turban” remarks at an event in the United States and accused him of setting a “false and fabricated” narrative.
Many BJP leaders bristled at his “anti-Sikh rhetoric” on foreign soil and claimed that the Congress MP was bringing the country down on foreign soil with his “agenda-setting” statements. Some also dug out Congress’ history and invoked the 1984 Sikh genocide to call out his “doublespeak”.
In a video message, BJP National Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to distort reality is not just misleading but a dangerous effort to sow discord and hatred.”
In further unequivocal condemnation of the Congress leader’s divisive statement, he said, “The Gandhi family’s history of targeting the Sikh faith is well-known, from their role in orchestrating the 1984 Sikh genocide to shielding and rewarding those responsible for the massacre.”
The BJP spokesperson also dismissed Rahul’s claim that “Sikhs were not allowed to wear turban in India” and said that no Sikh has ever been stopped from wearing a turban or visiting a Gurudwara.
“Rahul Gandhi’s legacy is one of betrayal, and his divisive politics are a continuation of Congress’ ‘Divide and Rule’ agenda,” he added.
The barrage of political reactions follows Rahul’s assertions on the Sikh community, during an interaction with members of the Indian community in Virginia.
He said that the fight in India is about whether a person, as a Sikh, is going to be allowed to wear a turban in India and would be able to visit a Gurdwara.
“First of all, you have to understand what the fight is about. The fight is not about politics. It is superficial. What is your name? The fight is about whether… he as a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India. Or he as a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear a kada in India. Or a Sikh is going to be able to go to Gurdwara. That’s what the fight is about and not just for him, for all religions,” Rahul said at the US event.
–IANS