Row over ‘conversion’ to Buddhism in AAP Minister’s presence, BJP slams ‘anti-Hindu event’

New Delhi: Rajendra Pal Gautam, minister in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Delhi government has triggered a storm by participating in a ‘religious conversion’ event where slogans like ‘won’t pray to Hindu Gods’ were chanted by the crowd.

A big crowd of about 10,000 people assembled at Delhi’s Ambedkar Bhawan during Dussehra celebrations and reportedly embraced Buddhism on October 5.

Reports suggest that the program was organized by AAP minister Rajendra Pal Gautam and the conversion to Buddhism happened under his auspices. Gautam is the Minister of Social Welfare in Delhi. The program was attended by many Buddhist monks along with Rajratna Ambedkar, great-grandnephew of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and President of Buddhist Society of India.

Major controversy broke out after videos of conversion and slogan-shouting landed on social media. In the video, AAP minister and huge gathering of public can be seen taking pledge not to worship Hindu gods including Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, Lord Brahma, Lord Ram and Goddess Gauri after they embrace Buddhism.

The AAP Minister, founder of Mission Jai Bhim, also took to Twitter to share photos of the event and also said that 10,000 people have taken vow to done ‘ghar wapsi’ under ‘Mission Jai Bhim’.

चलो बुद्ध की ओर मिशन जय भीम बुलाता है।

आज “मिशन जय भीम” के तत्वाधान में अशोका विजयदशमी पर डॉ०अंबेडकर भवन रानी झांसी रोड पर 10,000 से ज्यादा बुद्धिजीवियों ने तथागत गौतम बुद्ध के धम्म में घर वापसी कर जाति विहीन व छुआछूत मुक्त भारत बनाने की शपथ ली।

नमो बुद्धाय, जय भीम! pic.twitter.com/sKtxzVRYJt

— Rajendra Pal Gautam (@AdvRajendraPal) October 5, 2022

BJP guns for AAP cabinet minister

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has mounted a vociferous attack against the AAP minister as well as the leadership for denigrating the Hindu values and demanded that Kejriwal sacks the minister from his cabinet.

BJP says that the real face of ‘anti-Hindu AAP’ stands exposed now.

BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana said that this shows the duplicity of Kejriwal’s party and also called out AAP for insulting the Hindu beliefs & deities.

यह है @AamAadmiParty का दोगलापन ।
जिस राज्य में चुनाव होते है वहाँ @ArvindKejriwal और उनके गुर्गे,जय श्री राम और जय श्री कृष्ण कहते थकते नहीं।

लेकिन जहाँ सत्ता में होते है वहाँ उनके मंत्री (ख़ुद सुनिए) कैसे हमारे इष्ट देवताओं का अपमान करते है।

ग़ज़ब है केजरीवाल।@BJP4Delhi pic.twitter.com/kfUCW9782S

— Harish Khurana (@HarishKhuranna) October 7, 2022

He said that AAP ministers & workers keep chanting Jai Shri Ram & Jai Shri Krishna in poll-bound states but where they are in power, they don’t hesitate to spread anti-Hindu venom.

Lambasting the Kejriwal administration for its ‘fake secularism’, the BJP said that people of Delhi will give them a befitting reply for ‘making a fool of them’.

देखिए, किस तरह केजरीवाल का मंत्री हिंदुओं के विरूद्ध ज़हर उगल रहा है। चुनावी हिन्दू केजरीवाल और AAP का हिंदू विरोधी चेहरा सबके सामने आ गया है। जनता जल्द हिंदू विरोधी AAP को उचित जवाब देगी। शर्म करो केजरीवाल। pic.twitter.com/vYhmXJtbaq

— BJP Delhi (@BJP4Delhi) October 7, 2022

Delhi BJP also lashed out at the AAP minister as well as Kejriwal government for ‘allowing’ its leaders to offend Hindu beliefs & followers with impunity.