Citizens in Ahmedabad, Rajkot and other cities in Gujarat woke up to posters at several public places denouncing Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal as “anti-Hindu”. The posters, which have sprung up overnight, ‘quote’ Kejriwal slamming Hindu rituals.
One such poster, quoting Kejriwal, read: “I consider Hinduism to be a folly,” while another read: “I will not perform shraddha, pind daan or any other Hindu rituals.”
Some of the posters show Kejriwal, the Delhi chief minister, wearing a skull cap, and these proclaim: “The anti-Hindu face of the AAP government has been exposed.”
Kejriwal and senior AAP leaders have been frequent visitors to Gujarat in the run-up to the Assembly elections, with the AAP seeking to emerge as an undisputed challenger to the BJP nationwide. AAP has made a slew of promises in Gujarat, including free electricity and allowance for women.
On Saturday, in several Gujarat cities and towns including Ahmedabad, a viral video of Delhi’s Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam participating in a Buddhist gathering was circulated. The video purportedly shows anti-Hindu ritual slogans being raised.
The Gujarat government spokesperson and Cabinet minister Jitu Vaghani said that Kejriwal and his supporters have a history of mocking Indian deities and rituals. “Kejriwal and his aides should stop insulting us Hindus and our Gods and Goddesses,” he said.
AAP has not directly commented on the matter.
