Aam Aadmi Party national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s politics of soft Hindutva was yet again on display while campaigning days after his minister Rajendra Pal Gautam denounced Hindu deities saying he doesn’t believe in Brahma, Vishu, and Mahesh at a religious program of Buddhists sparking a massive backlash by BJP and Hindu outfits.
In an attempt to downplay the narrative and his image established by the BJP IT Cell operatives as anti-Hindu, Kejriwal yesterday attempted to get over that dent by posing himself as a huge devotee of Lord Hanuman and said “He was sent by God on earth to set the people of Gujarat free from clutches of goons and corrupts.”
On the campaign trail, BJP erected posters of Kejriwal in a skull cap leveling him as anti-Hindu and running a widespread campaign against AAP forming anti-Hindu remarks of his fellow cabinet minister as the basis.
Kejriwal during yesterday night’s event said that he was born on the Janmashtami for a purpose, leveling his political rivals as the progeny of ‘Kansa.’
To get over his anti-Hindu image framed by the BJP, Kejriwal made attempts to garner the support of the people of Gujarat through his Vadodara rally knowing how crucial the politics of religion is in the state for them.
Major Gujarati cities of Ahmadabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, and Surat saw Kejriwal posters with the skull cap presenting him as an anti-Hindu will cause a huge dent in Kejriwal’s political ambitions in the Hindu majoritarian state of Gujarat where Lord Krishna holds a pious place in the heart of Gujaratis.
Kejriwal calls political opponents 'progeny of Kans'
With polls in Gujarat regarded as the fort of BJP due this year, Kejriwal’s minister’s comments denouncing Hindu Gods will for sure cause a huge impact on his party’s image, and these measures and statements from rallies by Kejriwal a damage control measure who is aiming to find a political ground in the state.
He promised to replicate the Delhi model of state-sponsored visits of the devotees to Ayodhya if his party was voted to power. Describing himself an “extremely religious person”, the Delhi chief minister ended his rallies in Dahod and Vadodara with chants of “Jai Shree Ram” while lashing out at critics saying “demonic powers have united” against him.
“Lord Shri Ram’s temple in Ayodhya will be ready next year. Who all want to visit the temple? All of you want to do so. But the trip, stay, food and lodging is very costly, isn’t it? And if you take your entire family, then it costs a lot,” Kejriwal said.
The Vadodara rally of Kejriwal kept the Police on edge as minor skirmishes were reported in the city with BJP and AAP workers at loggerheads, AAP banners were pulled down and members of either side were involved in heated arguments.