New Delhi: Reacting to BJPs allegations that he heads a Muslim party, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday tweeted that his organisation “loves all living beings”, irrespective of religion, caste and belief.
Gandhi’s Twitter post described the Congress as a truly inclusive group that aims to battle hatred and fear. “I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me. I seek out those in pain and embrace them. I erase hatred and fear. I love all living beings. I am the Congress,” it read.
I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me.
I seek out those in pain and embrace them. I erase hatred and fear.
I love all living beings.
I am the Congress.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 17 July 2018
The controversy arose on June 12, when an Urdu newspaper quoted Gandhi as saying that the Congress was a “Muslim party” at a recent meeting with Islamic scholars. Soon after a number of BJP leaders including defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi began questioning the Congress president on his alleged assertion.
While Nirmala Sitharaman accused the Congress leadership of engaging in communal politics ahead of the Lok Sabha elections; Modi questioned if Gandhi cared as much for Muslim womenfolk as its men. “I have read in a newspaper that the Congress president has said that Congress is a party of Muslims, I am not surprised by this. All I want to ask is, is their party only for Muslim men or for women too?” the Prime Minister asked, at a rally in Azadgarh
The ruling party persisted with the attack on Monday, when the human resources development minister Prakash Javadekar wondering why Gandhi was “keeping mum” on the issue. “You said openly that the Congress is a party of Muslims. Your appeasement policy had damaged the country to a great extent earlier too. The whole history of partition is also a testimony of your policy of appeasement,” he said.
The Congress maintained that Gandhi was misquoted on the issue.