Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam resigns amid religious conversion row
Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam in his resignation letter accused the BJP of playing dirty politics and alleged threat calls from some right-wing individuals
Delhi social welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, whose presence at a “mass religious conversion” event on Wednesday triggered a political row, resigned on Sunday accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing “dirty politics” and alleging threat calls from some right-wing individuals.
The event, where hundreds of people denounced Hinduism and adopted Buddhism, invited criticism from the BJP, which accused the city’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of hurting sentiments and demanded that the party remove the legislator from his position.
“I do not want my leader Arvind Kejriwal to face any trouble due to me. Being a true solider of the party, I will follow the footsteps of Gautam Buddha and Dr BR Ambedkar throughout my life,” Rajendra Pal Gautam said in a two-page resignation letter shared on Twitter.
An MLA from Seemapuri assembly constituency, he was appointed minister in 2016 and has been serving as a minister since. In 2020, when the AAP came back to power for the third time, he was once again inducted into the Kejriwal cabinet. He is one of the popular Dalit faces of the party.
He was handling the social welfare, SC/ST and Gurudwara election portfolios. If his resignation is accepted, the government will have to either induct a new minister or give the portfolios to another minister. The Kejriwal cabinet has seven ministers including the chief minister and Satyendra Jain, who is currently in jail in an alleged money laundering case.
On Wednesday, Gautam, attended Ashoka Vijaya Dashami celebrations at Ambedkar Bhawan in Jhandewalan, where 10,000 Hindus converted to Buddhism.
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A video of the event shows a saffron-clad 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.”
In the resignation letter, the minister said that he participated in the event in a personal capacity and the AAP or the Delhi cabinet had nothing to do with that. “Along with 10,000 people I repeated the 22 vows taken by BR Ambedkar in the event. After this I can see that the BJP is targeting my leader Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP which is very sad for me,” Gautam said.
In the video, Gautam was also seen taking the oath. 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. Later, Gautam clarified in a statement that he did not speak against anyone’s faith, and accused the BJP of “propaganda”.
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.
After the controversy broke out on the issue, an AAP official said that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was “extremely displeased” with Gautam.
A group of BJP youth wing workers on Saturday protested outside Gautam’s residence raising ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans and also put up a saffron flag, with the image of Lord Rama, on top of a pole outside the minister’s residence.
The controversy also reached Gujarat, where the AAP is trying to make an inroad during the upcoming election. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had to face posters which emerged in Gujarat on Saturday calling him “anti-Hindu”. Later, Kejriwal claimed that he was born on Janmashtami and God has given him a special task to finish off “descendants” of the demon Kansa.
Gautam in his resignation letter said that he is not afraid of the threats being made to him and he will continue to fight for the rights of the people of his community. “I will not hesitate even if I have to sacrifice my life in the fight for the rights of the people of my community,” Gautam said. He has not yet lodged any complaint with the police.
The minister further said that he will remain forever indebted to Arvind Kejriwal, who has given him much respect and cooperation (as a minister).