RSS, BJP ‘fake Hindus’, says Rahul Gandhi; BJP hits back

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday dubbed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as “fake Hindus” who only “use religion for their benefits”.

Addressing the All India Mahila Congress on its foundation day here, the former Congress president said the Congress’ ideology was in complete contrast to that of the RSS and the BJP and “only one of the two ideologies can rule the country.”

In his strongly-worded speech at the event, he also accused the duo of indulging in “dalali”.

Drawing a comparison with Mahatma Gandhi, the Wayanad MP said: “The BJP-RSS people say they are a Hindu party. In the last 100-200 years, if anyone has understood and practised Hinduism in the best possible way, it is Mahatma Gandhi. So, if Mahatma Gandhi understood the Hindu religion and spent his whole life understanding it, then why did the RSS ideology pump three bullets in his chest.”

As a Congress worker, Gandhi said he can never compromise with the ideology of the BJP and RSS.

Referring to demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Congress MP said the Narendra Modi government has attacked the “Shakti of Lakshmi” and “Shakti of Durga”.

“They call themselves a Hindu party and in the whole country, they attack Lakshmi and Durga. Wherever they go, they kill Lakshmi or Durga and then say we are Hindus,” he alleged.

Gandhi claimed that the RSS suppresses “women power” but the Congress party gives an equal platform to women power.

The Congress leader alleged that “there are 10-15 people who have the power of Durga and Lakshmi, they are Modi ji ‘s friends.”

Lashing out at the Congress leader, the BJP accused him of being “disconnected from the ground”.

BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said no one takes the Congress leader seriously.“Rahul Gandhi should not make these statements. He is totally disconnected from the ground. He has no information. That is the main problem,” Singh told reporters.

Reacting to Gandhi’s potshot at the RSS over respect for women, Singh said if the Congress leader has any confusion on this he should visit the ground.

“No one takes him seriously. He is not a serious person. Look at the track record of Rahul Gandhi. Sometimes he speaks after reading papers, sometimes after copying two three lines, he doesn’t know what is happening on the ground,” Singh said.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Gandhi’s statement has hurt Hindu sentiments. “In his address, Rahul Gandhi hurt Hindu religious sentiments. Laxmi, Durga, Saraswati are the centre of the sentiments of crores of people. To say that Durga ji has been attacked, using such words is not right in reference to any religion,” Patra told a television channel.

(With PTI inputs)