Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat held that former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s “views” on Lord Ram differed from the official stance of his party – Congress.
In a brief chat with media persons here on Sunday, the Union minister reacted sharply to the remarks made by Gehlot at a programme at the party’s state headquarters here earlier this week.
Shekhawat said, “What the former CM had said about Lord Ram differs from the stance taken by the then Congress-led UPA government in the affidavit submitted before the Supreme Court about (lord) Ram and the Ram Setu.”
Shekhawat said Gehlot should have due perusal of stance taken in the affidavit and then make clarification.
The three-time ex-CM had sarcastically said, “Lord Ram is ours, the BJP has hijacked the lord for political gains.” The BJP people do talk in a way that suggests”as if we are not even Hindus, they only belong to Hinduism”.
“However, the fact of the matter is that we too are Hindus (in true sense) and Lord Ram is ours too. BJP has hijacked by making the issue political and taking it to streets, by indulging in arson and inciting unrest for political gains. Our Lord Ram is a symbol of faithful decorum – in the form of the Maryada Purushottam, he is even prefixed or suffixed in names of many of our party colleagues.
Union Minister Shekhawat wanted to point out the stated fact, mentioned by the Centre in the affidavit in 2007. The affidavit had reportedly held that the Ram Setu and Ram are imaginary, contrary to the claims being made by Gehlot.