Taking exception to a remark of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi against Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya asked the Congress leader to withdraw the statement and seek an unconditional apology from the chief minister.

He said the language used by Rahul Gandhi is condemnable and people of the state will not forgive him.

Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the BJP of indulging in “unrighteousness” in Uttar Pradesh and said going by the language used by Yogi Adityanath, he cannot be a religious leader.

The senior Congress leader said this while interacting with the members of the civil society during the Bharat Jodo Yatra at the Constitution Club in the National Capital. He had said with the kind of language Adityanath was using, he was “insulting” the history of the Gorakhnath Math.

Gandhi reportedly said, “I am sorry, he (Adityanath) is not a religious leader, he is a common thug.”

Criticising the BJP, Rahul Gandhi said what the BJP doing is not religion, but adharma.

When asked how the Congress would deal with the “storm of religion” in Uttar Pradesh, the former Congress chief said it is not about religion as he understands his religion (Hinduism), and he has knowledge of  Islam, Christianity and have studied other religions such as Judaism and Buddhism.

Meanwhile, UP BJP president  Bhupendra Singh Chowdhary said that Rahul Gandhi’s comment on Gorakshpeeth’s Peethadhishwar and the CM Yogi Adityanath, is cheap and condemnable, which is enough to prove that he neither knows history nor have any knowledge.

“CM Yogi Adityanath has established the rule of law in UP and development works are being done. This statement of Rahul Gandhi shows  his political immaturity,” he said in a statement on Tuesday .

Choudhury said UP government under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is continuously working on the agenda of development including the Global Investors Summit without any discrimination. The double engine BJP government is continuously working to make the state and its people economically prosperous.

“But the opposition is constantly trying to spoil the atmosphere of UP but the plans of the opposition will not succeed,” he said.

BJP State President said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is a worshiper of Sanatan culture he has all concern for human beings, solving their problems and welfare without any discrimination.

He said, “Rahul Gandhi and the Congress have always been playing with faith. Those who had questioned the existence of Lord Rama and Krishna have no knowledge about the social harmony of Gorakshpeeth,” he added.