'They are spreading lies. Can't Sikh freely practice their religion?': Rahul Gandhi hits back at BJP, defends comments on Sikhs
Gandhi reaffirmed his remarks in the US, stating that the governing party attempted to stifle him because they were "desperate" to evade the truth.
- Sep 21, 2024,
- Updated Sep 21, 2024 6:30 PM IST
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday responded to the BJP's strong criticism of his recent comments about the Sikh community during a speech in the US Gandhi accused the BJP of twisting his words to create a false narrative and addressed the issue on the social media platform X.
Sharing a clip from his September 10 address, Gandhi wrote: "The BJP has been spreading lies about my remarks in America. I want to ask every Sikh brother and sister in India and abroad—is there anything wrong in what I have said? Shouldn't India be a country where every Sikh—and every Indian—can freely practice their religion without fear?"
Gandhi reaffirmed his remarks in the US, stating that the governing party attempted to stifle him because they were "desperate" to evade the truth.
"As usual, the BJP is resorting to lies. They are desperate to silence me because they cannot stand the truth. But I will always speak up for the values that define India: our unity in diversity, equality, and love," he added.
In his speech to Indian Americans in Herndon, Virginia, near Washington D.C., Gandhi spoke about the challenges minority communities face in India.
Gandhi accused the RSS, the BJP's ideological foundation, of pushing a vision of India that treats certain religions, languages, and communities as inferior.
"The fight is not about politics, that is superficial," Gandhi said in the video. "The fight is about whether he (pointing to a Sikh man) will be allowed to wear his turban, his kada, and go to gurdwara in India."
“And that's not just him, for all religions. What the RSS is basically saying is that 'certain states are inferior to other states, certain languages are inferior to other languages, certain communities are inferior to other communities.”
“We are of the opinion that whether you are from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh -- all of you have your history, traditions, language and every single one is as important as any other one...The fight is about what type of India we are going to have.”
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri was quick to criticize Gandhi, calling his remarks "sinister" and accusing him of spreading lies about how Sikhs are treated in India. During a press conference, Puri claimed that Gandhi was playing on the emotions of the Sikh diaspora, many of whom, he said, were not aware of the realities in India.
"Rahul Gandhi was trying to spread a false narrative while speaking in front of those, who belong to my community and are trying to eke out a living in the US with hard work and honesty," said Puri. "They do not have much connection with the country (India)."
Puri cautioned that Gandhi's remarks could damage the social fabric of the nation, labeling his narrative as "dangerous." Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed disappointment, stating that the opposition leader was harming India's international image.
"It is extremely shameful that the Leader of Opposition is hurting the dignity of India by saying misleading, baseless, and factless things during his foreign tour," Singh said.
Puri firmly denied Gandhi’s claims, stating that Sikhs in India are not being prevented from practicing their faith.
"The Sikh community is not only allowed but is respected for its religious practices. The entire country recognises and honours the great role played by Sikhs in protecting our culture," Singh added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday responded to the BJP's strong criticism of his recent comments about the Sikh community during a speech in the US Gandhi accused the BJP of twisting his words to create a false narrative and addressed the issue on the social media platform X.
Sharing a clip from his September 10 address, Gandhi wrote: "The BJP has been spreading lies about my remarks in America. I want to ask every Sikh brother and sister in India and abroad—is there anything wrong in what I have said? Shouldn't India be a country where every Sikh—and every Indian—can freely practice their religion without fear?"
Gandhi reaffirmed his remarks in the US, stating that the governing party attempted to stifle him because they were "desperate" to evade the truth.
"As usual, the BJP is resorting to lies. They are desperate to silence me because they cannot stand the truth. But I will always speak up for the values that define India: our unity in diversity, equality, and love," he added.
In his speech to Indian Americans in Herndon, Virginia, near Washington D.C., Gandhi spoke about the challenges minority communities face in India.
Gandhi accused the RSS, the BJP's ideological foundation, of pushing a vision of India that treats certain religions, languages, and communities as inferior.
"The fight is not about politics, that is superficial," Gandhi said in the video. "The fight is about whether he (pointing to a Sikh man) will be allowed to wear his turban, his kada, and go to gurdwara in India."
“And that's not just him, for all religions. What the RSS is basically saying is that 'certain states are inferior to other states, certain languages are inferior to other languages, certain communities are inferior to other communities.”
“We are of the opinion that whether you are from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh -- all of you have your history, traditions, language and every single one is as important as any other one...The fight is about what type of India we are going to have.”
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri was quick to criticize Gandhi, calling his remarks "sinister" and accusing him of spreading lies about how Sikhs are treated in India. During a press conference, Puri claimed that Gandhi was playing on the emotions of the Sikh diaspora, many of whom, he said, were not aware of the realities in India.
"Rahul Gandhi was trying to spread a false narrative while speaking in front of those, who belong to my community and are trying to eke out a living in the US with hard work and honesty," said Puri. "They do not have much connection with the country (India)."
Puri cautioned that Gandhi's remarks could damage the social fabric of the nation, labeling his narrative as "dangerous." Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed disappointment, stating that the opposition leader was harming India's international image.
"It is extremely shameful that the Leader of Opposition is hurting the dignity of India by saying misleading, baseless, and factless things during his foreign tour," Singh said.
Puri firmly denied Gandhi’s claims, stating that Sikhs in India are not being prevented from practicing their faith.
"The Sikh community is not only allowed but is respected for its religious practices. The entire country recognises and honours the great role played by Sikhs in protecting our culture," Singh added.