The Congress high command has sent a strict missive to its leaders, particularly election campaigners, to refrain themselves from using statements related to religion, caste and people of historical eminence.
In a damage control, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday disapproved party leader CP Joshi’s “casteist” statement that only Brahmins can speak about Hinduism and not people like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP MP Uma Bharti and Hindu activist Sadhvi Ritambhara.
In a video tweeted by Harsh Sanghavi, a BJP MLA from Gujarat, Joshi is heard saying, “Does anyone know what is the caste of Uma Bharti? What is the caste of Sadhvi Ritambhara? In this country, if anyone knows about religion, it is the pandits and the Brahmins. Uma Bharti is a Lodhi, and she talks about Hinduism, Modi ji talks about Hinduism. It’s only Brahmins who don’t talk about it. The country is being misled. Religion and governance are two different things. Everyone has the right to practise their religion.”
Taking to social media, Rahul said Joshi’s remarks do not reflect and are contrary to the ideals of the Congress. “CP Joshi’s remarks are contrary to the Congress party’s ideals. Party leaders should not give such statement that hurts any segment of the society. While respecting the Congress party’s principles and the sentiments of party workers, I am sure Joshi ji will realise his mistake. He should express regret over his remarks,” the Congress chief said on Twitter.
Soon after Rahul’s advice and BJP’s furore, Joshi apologised. “Respecting the principles of the Congress party and the sentiments of party workers, I feel sorry if my statement has hurt the feelings of any section of society,” Joshi said in a tweet in Hindi. His remarks come ahead of Assembly elections in Rajasthan on December 7 and Madhya Pradesh on November 28, and have the potential of alienating lower caste voters from the Congress party.
The BJP has rejected his apology, saying the remarks “insulted” Indian culture and the Hindu religion. The BJP has already taken advantage saying Congress leaders are stooping very low and making such repulsive comments.
The Congress has been grappling with similar controversies with its leaders competing with each other to make scandalous comments against the BJP brass.
From the “chaiwala” jibe to “neech” and now casteist remarks and comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother’s age with the falling rupee have led to serious concerns in the Congress leadership brass in the midst of crucial Assembly polls in three significant Hindi heartland States.
Kicking up another controversy, a senior Congress leader and yesteryears actor dragged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother in poll campaign comparing the rupee’s falling value against the US dollar with “(Before becoming the Prime Minister) Modi used to say that compared to the (US) dollar, the value of the rupee has fallen to a level where it is almost the same as the age of the then Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh),” Babbar, the Uttar Pradesh Congress chief, said.
“Mr Prime Minister, at that time, you had not taken his (Manmohan Singh) name out of respect. Although our tradition does not allow this, we wish to say that now the value of the rupee has fallen to the age of your respected mother,” he added.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, senior party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had remarked that after BJP’s failure in the then polls Modi will be compelled to open a tea stall, a remark which the BJP has been using it in its favour till date. Later during the Gujarat elections, Aiyar repeated a “neech” (low person) facing strict action from the party but to the gains of BJP.