BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma challenged Congress leaders Bhupesh Baghel and Kamal Nath to take former party presidents- Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi to Ayodhya's Ram temple at a public rally in Surajpur, Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.
"Kamal Nath ji in Madhya Pradesh and Bhupesh Baghel in Chhattisgarh say that they are also Hindus. I challenge them that if they are Hindus, then they should take Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi to Ayodhya's Ram Lalla temple once," said Sarma.
BJP leaders have been critical of Congress since the 'Sanatan Dharma' row was triggered by the controversial remarks by the DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. DMK is one of the partners of Congress-led I.N.D.I.A bloc. BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, called the newly formed opposition bloc an anti-Hindu.
Congress will be proven 'anti-Hindu': Himanta
Sarma earlier had said that if the Congress does not distance itself from the DMK leader's controversial remarks, it will 'confirm' the public's perception that the party is 'anti-Hindu'.
He also questioned the grand old party's stance on its leader Karti Chidambaram defending the DMK leader's statements.
"I do not want to condemn the statement by the Tamil Nadu minister because he has exposed himself," Sarma said, claiming that remarks on similar lines were also made by Karti Chidambaram and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
DMK youth wing secretary and Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin had alleged that Sanatan Dharma is against equality and social justice, and had likened it to coronavirus, malaria, fever caused by dengue virus and mosquitoes.
His remarks led to a furore on social media with BJP's IT department in-charge Amit Malviya stating the DMK leader has called for "genocide" of 80 per cent population who follow Sanatan Dharma.
(With PTI inputs)
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