Ayodhya: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid has likened Rahul Gandhi to Lord Ram and termed him as "superhuman" and a "yogi doing tapasya" as he lauded the former party chief for his Bharat Jodo Yatra, evoking sharp criticism from the BJP. Slamming the opposition party leaders for their show of "sycophancy", the BJP said comparing a person out on bail in a corruption case, a reference to the National Herald probe, to a God worshipped by so many people not only hurts the feelings of Hindus but also the entire society.
The Congress leader, however, remained unfazed and defended his remarks. Salman Khurshid on Tuesday said, "Lord Ram belongs to everyone, BJP should not make it controversial. There is no monopoly on Lord Ram and Hindutva. No one can claim to be the doer of Hinduism. Hinduism is a limitless and comprehensive religion. The whole country has allegiance to the Gods of Hinduism."
While addressing the media on Monday, Khurshid said, "Rahul Gandhi is superhuman. While we are freezing in the cold and wearing jackets, he is going out in T-shirt (for the Bharat Jodo Yatra). He is like a yogi, he has called himself so, doing his 'tapasya' (penance) with focus." Khurshid said, "Don't evoke controversy in the name of Lord Ram, he belongs to everyone. He reminded that Lord Ram is called as Imam-e-Hind.
While BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia targeted the Congress at a press conference for Khurshid's comparison, another party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, in a swipe at Congress leaders, said they put "parivaar ki bhakti" (devotion to family) above "bhagwaan and rashtra ki bhakti" (devotion to God and nation). The Congress must apologise for hurting Hindu sentiments, Poonawalla said. On the Rahul Gandhi and Lord Ram comparison remark, Raju Das, the head priest of Ayodhya's Siddhpeeth, Hanumangarhi, slammed Congress and Congress leaders.
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Raju Das said, "Salman Khurshid knows that if he does this with his community, the people of his own community will behead him. Such leaders often make fun of our Sanatana Dharma and our Gods and Goddesses. Such people should be punished. We appeal to the youth of the country to make fun of the Congress leaders, who never accepted the existence of Lord Ram, today the same leaders are comparing a leader like Rahul Gandhi to Lord Ram."
"Congress leaders have always been against Sanatana Dharma. They have made fun of our deities. The existence of our Lord Ram has been questioned and today leaders like Salman Khurshid are calling Lord Ram an ideal and are comparing him with Rahul Gandhi. We will not tolerate this at all," Das said.
