Synopsis
Three police complaints were filed by the Delhi BJP against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his comments on Sikhs and reservation during his US visit. The BJP claims these remarks incite social disharmony and hurt religious sentiments. The Congress has also filed a complaint against NDA leaders for targeting Gandhi.
AgenciesThree separate police complaints were filed by the Delhi BJP against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, including for his “divisive and provocative comments” on the condition of Sikhs in India and remarks to end reservation, during his recent US visit. The development comes a day after the Congress filed a complaint at the Tughlaq Road police station here on Wednesday over recent statements of leaders belonging to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) targeting Gandhi.
The Congress alleged that the statements of the NDA leaders were aimed at jeopardising the safety and security of the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and to disturb peace throughout the country, especially in view of the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana.
The complaints against Gandhi were filed by the Sikh cell, SC Morcha and ST Morcha of the Delhi BJP at different police stations, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said.
“Rahul Gandhis statement in the US about Sikhs has hurt the religious sentiments of the community in the country, while his remarks to do away with reservation has outraged the Scheduled Castes (SCs),” Sachdeva said.
The complaint filed against Gandhi by Charanjeet Singh Lovely of the Delhi BJP’s Sikh Prakoshth (cell) alleged that the Congress leader’s comments about the “purported” condition of Sikhs in India have given an “impetus to the feeling of separatism among Sikhs in India”.
Sachdeva and another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Arvinder Singh Lovely, told a press conference here that despite holding the important position of leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi’s statements, whether in India or abroad, tend to “incite social disharmony”.
“This is not the Congress that I knew as the Congress had always claimed that it rises above caste-based politics. However, Rahul Gandhi’s statements are part of a conspiracy to divide the country, which, in a way, is an anti-national activity that the people of India will never forgive,” said Lovely, who headed the Delhi unit of the grand old party before switching over to the BJP in May.
Gandhi’s statements in the United States have caused “distress and anxiety” not only among the Sikh community but also within the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities in India, the BJP leaders said in a statement.
The Congress leader’s remarks have also “tarnished” India’s image abroad, they added.
Sachdeva said instead of apologising to the country for his “misleading” statements, Gandhi is further “inflaming tension” by getting Congress leaders to make more “controversial” comments.
His remarks have “deeply offended” Sikhs and “hurt their religious sentiments”, Sachdeva said and added that Charanjeet Singh Lovely has filed his complaint at the Tilak Nagar police station under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.
The SC Morcha and ST Morcha convenors of the Delhi BJP have also filed complaints against Gandhi at the Parliament Street and Punjabi Bagh police stations respectively for his remarks on doing away with reservation, he added.
