‘Conversion event’ by ex-AAP minister: Buddhist groups write to President, call for action
“Buddhism doesn’t teach spewing venom against other religion. Buddhism doesn’t espouse rejecting or disrespecting other Gods & Goddesses. The Minister has done great disservice to Dr Balasaheb Ambedkar,” the letter by Buddhist organizations said.
New Delhi: In mounting trouble for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s former minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, Dharam Sanskriti Sangam and a group of spiritual centres pertaining to Buddhism have written to President Droupadi Murmu and sought legal action against him for inciting religious divide & rift among two communities.
In the letter signed by many Buddhist centres, they claimed they are ‘greatly disturbed’ by the video showing former AAP minister ‘supervising’ the event where thousands reportedly abandoned their faith & converted to Buddhism.
Rajendra Pal Gautam reportedly ‘persuaded’ a large number of people to shun Hinduism and adopt Buddhism.
At the religious conversion event, his oath along with thousands others created a political storm and anticipating more trouble, the AAP leadership axed him from the minister’s post. At the event, large number of people took oath, pledging that they will not consider Hindu Gods as deities & will stop worshipping them. Ex-AAP minister was seen on stage leading thousands in ‘converting from Hinduism to Buddhism’.
BJP went ballistic after the video of religious conversion surfaced and tore into AAP leadership for its ‘anti-Hindu’ stance.
The 19 signatories of the letter which include Mahabodhi Society of India’s General & Joint Secretary, President of International Buddh Research centre & many others concurred with the fact that what happened at the event was totally against the teachings of Lord Buddha and the tenets of Buddhism.
“Buddhism doesn’t teach spewing venom against other religion. Buddhism doesn’t espouse rejecting or disrespecting other Gods & Goddesses. The Minister has done great disservice to Dr Balasaheb Ambedkar,” the letter by Buddhist organizations said.
The letter also expresses disappointment over no word of condemnation from Delhi govt over minister’s abetment to conversion and said, “We urge relevant authorities to take immediate action against them as well as the attendees for trying to divide the nation.”