New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday criticised Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks about the "Sikh turban" at an event in the US, accusing him of promoting a "false and fabricated" narrative.
Several BJP leaders expressed outrage at what they described as 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 leaders also referenced the 1984 Sikh genocide, which happened under the Congress rule, to highlight what they called his "doublespeak".
The wave of political reactions came in response to Rahul Gandhi's comments about 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.
In a video statement, 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.
(With IANS Inputs)