Congress MP Rahul Gandhi whose Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Haryana's Kurukshetra continued his attacks on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) on Monday.
Rahul Gandhi in Kurukshetra said 'Kauravas' of the 21st century wear Khakhi half-pant and run 'shakhas'.
Besides them (RSS members) stand the country's 2-3 richest people, he asserted.
"RSS people never chant 'Har Har Mahadev' because Lord Shiva was a 'Tapasavi' and these people are attacking India's 'Tapasaya'. They have removed Goddess Sita from 'Jai Siya Ram'. These people are working against India's culture, Gandhi added.
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Rahul's 'pujaris remark' backfires
Gandhi's 'pujaris' remark boomeranged as several priests accused ex-grand old party leader of "insulting" those engaged in worship.
Gandhi had recently said in Haryana that India is a country of "tapasvis" not "pujaris". He asserted the Congress believes in 'tapasya', while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is an organisation of 'pooja'.
The BJP-RSS force people to worship them, he had alleged, adding that India is a country of 'tapasvis' (ascetics) and not 'pujaris' (priests).
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Priests open front against Gandhi
Ujjwal Pandit of Yuva Teerth Purohit Mahasabha alleged that Gandhi had insulted India's ancient cultural traditions in which priests have played a central role. It is clear that the Congress leader wore 'janeu' (holy thread) and tilak on his head for show, he alleged in a statement, claiming that Gandhi's remarks are against Brahmins.
Swami Dipankar noted that the Gandhi scion had described his Bharat Jodo Yatra as his "mohabbat ki dukan" (place for love), but was now talking about "hate".
The Congress leader should think before speaking as he, on one hand, is working to unite people and on the other hand, is making this kind of statement. Should priests be then thrown into sea, he asked.
"He has undertaken such a glorious journey. I am shocked that he has made such a statement," Dipankar said.
Rajnikant Semwal of Gangotri Dham said priests have had a key place in the land of 'sanatan dharma'. Pujaris have been following an ancient tradition, he said, urging Gandhi to study the same.
At some places, including Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, priests carried out protests and burnt Gandhi's effigies. In the temple town of Deoghar in Jharkhand, priests demanded an apology from the Congress leader for insulting their tradition.
(With PTI input)
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