Rajasthan: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot while hitting out at the BJP said aren't people who don't vote for the saffron party not Hindus, accusing it for linking the voting preference of people with Hinduism.
"You (BJP) come up with one issue or the other to provoke people in the name of religion, caste. All are Hindus. Aren't we Hindus? Where is it written that the one who votes for the BJP is a Hindu?" Gehlot asked.
"In a democracy, some vote for the BJP, some don't. Some vote for the Congress, some don't," he said.
"Where did they get this definition that those who do not vote (for the BJP) are not Hindus? It is not in the interest of the country," Gehlot said.
Alleging that a BJP government will stop the schemes run by the current government in Rajasthan, Gehlot said, "I would like to tell the youth, you decide whether you want development, whether you want a vision or (not)."
He also told the youth that "knowledge is power". He said Rajasthan today ranks first in the country in the IT sector.
The Chief Minister was speaking at the inauguration of Haldighati Youth Festival at Nathdwara in Rajsamand district on Thursday.
Gehlot appealed to the youth to decide whether they want development or just issues that provoke people.
(With inputs from PTI)
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