AAP leader and Delhi Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Sunday resigned from the Delhi Cabinet fearing backlash in poll-bound Gujarat where posters and hoardings have come up in big numbers denouncing AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal as anti-Hindu.
Rajendra Pal Gautam triggered a major controversy over his presence at a religious conversion event where Hindu deities were allegedly denounced by those who took the oath of Buddhism. Gautam shared the details of his resignation and the reasons behind it in a two-page letter dated October 9. Gautam was Delhi’s Minister of Social Welfare, Cooperation, SC/ST Welfare, and Gurudwara election.
The conversion event controversy put the AAP and Chief Minister Kejriwal on the back foot just ahead of the forthcoming Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls. Significantly, no AAP leader came forward to defend Gautam even when the controversy started.
The BJP slammed Gautam for his alleged anti-Hindu stand and called AAP as a party that hated Hindus.
This was a major embarrassment for Kejriwal who is singing “Jai Sri Ram” in Gujarat and indirectly calling himself an avatar of Lord Krishna by pointing out that he was born on Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna. In his resignation letter, Gautam wrote, “I personally attended the Buddhist Dhamma Deeksha Samaroh organised by Mission Jai Bhim and Buddhist Society of India on the occasion of Ashok Vijayadashami on October 5, 2022, at Ambedkar Bhavan Rani Jhansi Road as a member of society.
“This had nothing to do with the Aam Aadmi Party and my Council of Ministers. Babasaheb’s great-grandson Rajratna Ambedkar repeated 22 vows of Babasaheb which were repeated by more than 10,000 people as well as me. After that, I see that the BJP is targeting our leader Arvind Kejriwal ji, and the Aam Aadmi Party, it is very sad for me.”
He added, “The 22 pledges made by Babasaheb were also published by Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot, former Union Minister of the BJP Government (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment) in ‘Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, Vol-17.’ These pledges are repeated every year by crores of people at thousands of places in every corner of the country.
“The BJP has objections to these 22 pledges made by Babasaheb and him. Hurt by BJP’s dirty politics, I am resigning from my ministerial post.”
“I don’t want any kind of attack on my leader Arvind Kejriwal ji, and Aam Aadmi Party because of me. As a true soldier of the party, I will carry out the just and equitable constitutional values shown by The Tathagata Buddha and Babasaheb for life.
“I will fight for the rights of my sisters and daughters and the people of the community with utmost strength throughout my life” he said.
Some people with the Manuwadi mindset are threatening on social media and on phone, to harm my life and property, my family, and my colleagues but I am not afraid of all this. I will fight for the rights of our community with utmost courage, honesty, and strength. Even if I have to sacrifice myself in this fight for the rights of the community, I will not let this fight stop,” read the letter.
In a tweet, Gautam said, “Today is the manifestation day of Maharishi Valmiki ji, and on the other hand, it is also the death anniversary of Manyavar Kanshi Ram Saheb. In such a coincidence, today I have been freed from many shackles and today I have been born again. Now I will continue to fight for rights and atrocities on society more firmly without any restrictions.”
Gautam found himself in the middle of a controversy on Friday after a video went viral, showing him attending the event on October 5. The controversial event, organised by the Buddhist Society of India, was conducted at the Dr. BR Ambedkar Bhavan in Jhandewalan in New Delhi. A video of the event shows a monk, sharing the dais with Gautam, administering an oath to the gathered Hindus: “I will have no faith in Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, nor will I worship them as God. I will have no faith in Rama or Krishna, nor will I worship them. I will have no faith in Gauri, Ganapati, and other Hindu gods, nor will I worship them.” Gautam was seen taking the oath as well.
A Delhi BJP delegation met the New Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police and filed a complaint against the Minister. A person aware of the matter said that Kejriwal was “extremely displeased” with Gautam.
In a statement on Friday evening, Gautam said he said he did not speak against anyone’s faith and accused the BJP of “propaganda”.