BJP slams AAP over conversion ‘oath’, minister hits back at ‘propaganda’

A Delhi BJP delegation met the New Delhi deputy commissioner of police and filed a complaint against the minister in the matter.

Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam’s presence at a “mass religious conversion” event earlier this week, where hundreds of people denounced Hinduism and adopted Buddhism, came in for criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused the state’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of hurting sentiments and demanded that the party remove the legislator from his position.

AAP minister Rajendra Pal Gautam at the event. (Courtesy: Twitter/@AdvRajendraPal)

A Delhi BJP delegation met the New Delhi deputy commissioner of police and filed a complaint against the minister.

Though the Delhi government did not respond to requests seeking comment on the matter, a person aware of the matter said that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal “is extremely displeased” with Gautam.

In a statement on Friday evening, Gautam said he said he did not speak against anyone’s faith, and accused the BJP of “propaganda”.

On Wednesday, Gautam, who holds the social welfare, SC & ST portfolios, attended Ashoka Vijaya Dashami celebrations at Ambedkar Bhawan in Jhandewalan, where 10,000 people were supposed to embrace Buddhism.

A video of the event shows a monk, sharing the dais with Gautam, administering an oath to the gathered Hindus: “I will have no faith in Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, nor will I worship them as God. I will have no faith in Rama or Krishna, nor will I worship them. I will have no faith in Gauri, Ganapati and other Hindu Gods, nor will I worship them.”

Gautam is seen taking the oath as well.

To be sure, the oath is one of 22 vows taken by BR Ambedkar when he led thousands of people in converting to Buddhism in October 1956.

The gathering, an annual affair held every October, was organised by two social groups — the Buddhist Society of India and Mission Jai Bheem. The event commemorates the 1956 mass conversion, known as Ashok Vijaya Dashami.

Such events are also organised all over the country by anti-caste groups who follow Ambedkar’s teachings.

Later on Wednesday, Gautam tweeted photos of the event and said, “Today, under the aegis of “Mission Jai Bhim”, on Ashoka Vijayadashami, more than 10,000 intellectuals took a pledge to make a caste-free and untouchable India by returning home to Tathagata Gautam Buddha’s Dhamma at Dr. Ambedkar Bhawan Rani Jhansi Road.”

Criticising the AAP, the BJP said the party should “prove its loyalty to the Constitution” and remove Gautam.

Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that the comments were made “at the behest of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal”.

“We demand that the minister who is trying to spread hatred and incite riots, should be sacked,” said Bhatia.

Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Friday held a press conference condemning the “conversion”.

CS Bhandari, a Delhi member of the Buddhist Society of India, said the programme was not a “religious conversion event” and that many of those who participated have been followers of Buddhism.

“The event is not about religious conversion but about administering oaths to them for good conduct. The oath is administered every year during such events to those who choose to take the oath. The issue is being politicised unnecessarily,” said Bhandari.