BJP targets Congress over its leaders’ ‘silence’ amid repeated ‘insult’ to Sanatan

NEW DELHI, Sept 12: (PTI) The BJP on Tuesday accused the INDIA bloc of having a hidden agenda to
target Sanatan Dharma for its vote bank politics as party president J P Nadda led a fresh charge and
claimed that attacking the ancient faith is part of a well thought-out strategy of the Congress and its
leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The BJP seized on DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister K Ponmudy’s remarks that the INDIA bloc
was forged as an “opposition to Sanatan ideology” to hit out at the opposition.
“The Congress and the INDI Alliance should make their view clear and tell if the Constitution gives
the right to make objectionable comments against any religion? Do INDI Alliance members not know
the constitutional provisions,” Nadda said on X.
The alliance, the Congress and Sonia and Rahul Gandhi should answer as to why “hate against
Sanatan Dharma is being sold in the name of mohabbat ki dukan,” he said. This mega mall of hate is
only for power; divide and rule, he alleged.
Addressing a press conference, BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the
country’s culture and heritage are being daily insulted while senior leaders like Sonia Gandhi are
silent.
Noting that Bihar minister and RJD leader Chandra Shekhar and Samajwadi Party’s Swami Prasad
Maura have repeatedly criticised Hindu holy books like Ramcharitmanas, Prasad said the leadership
of these parties have maintained silence.
Such silence is an indication of approval, he said, making it clear that the BJP will go to people on the
issue after the agenda has been set by the opposition. “We will talk of vikas (development) as well as
virasat,” he said. India will not tolerate this insult to Sanatan, he said.
The more Sonia Gandhi maintains silence over the matter the more it will be clear that opposing
Sanatan Dharma is part of the INDIA bloc’s common minimum programme, he alleged.
“The BJP will urge this alliance to come out with a categorical resolution that we completely
disassociate ourselves (from DMK’s criticism) and this is not our agenda,” he said.
With the DMK linking Sanatan Dharma with the practice of caste discrimination among Hindus to
justify its criticism, the BJP leader noted that temples dedicated to revered people from backward
castes like Shabir, Kewat and saint Ravidas have been built.
The Sanatan Dharma believes that one irrespective of his caste and community background can
attain God with their devotion, he claimed.
The Congress has maintained that it believes in respecting every faith.
Hitting back, Prasad said while opposition leaders from those in the DMK to some in parties like the
Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party have been vocal in criticising Sanatan Dharma and holy
books associated with Hinduism, can they summon courage to criticise other faiths and their holy
figures.
Why this “shameful denigration” of Sanatan, he said, claiming the country will not tolerate insult to
it.
He also spoke of the prominence given to the Konark Chakra and ancient Nalanda University during
the recent G20 Summit meeting hosted by Bharat.