BJP alleges Congress shows contempt for Hindu beliefs and traditions

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday accused the Congress of harbouring “contempt” for Hindu beliefs and Indian cultural traditions, questioning whether the party had instructed its Chief Ministers to attack Hindu deities and beliefs, and if it had begun pursuing the “eradication of Sanatana Dharma” agenda.

At a press conference, BJP MP and spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged that Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had made “derogatory and offensive” comments about Hindu deities, which were “unacceptable” and “deeply hurtful to religious sentiments”. He also referred to Mr. Reddy’s previous remarks purportedly supporting the Muslim community.

“We have no problem with your wholehearted support for the Muslim community. But abusing the Hindu gods and goddesses is intolerable,” Mr. Trivedi said, adding that no action was taken against an AIMIM leader in Telangana for allegedly using a similar “anti-Hindu language”.

The BJP leader also accused Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of saying “What is the need to say Radhe-Radhe?” in response to schoolchildren who greeted him with “Radhe-Radhe”. “Why one Congress Chief Minister was insulting Hindu deities, while another appeared to discourage children from using traditional greetings?” Mr. Trivedi asked.

“One of your alliance partners, the DMK, held a structured conference on the Eradication of Sanatana Dharma. It was not a mere statement, but a well-planned, well-thought-out, academic conference. In Hindi, it means the total destruction of Hinduism,” he said.

“So, I want to ask the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, has the Congress started pursuing the programme of Eradication of Sanatana Dharma, meaning the total destruction of Hinduism, and has it instructed its Chief Ministers to launch direct attacks on Indian culture and the deities of Hinduism?” the BJP leader said, also asking at whose instance the “agenda” was being carried forward.