Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday hit out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal over his remark on Ramayana, that has triggered a massive controversy ahead of the February 5 Delhi legislative assembly election.
“I think he (Arvind Kejriwal) does not understand the basics of Ramayana. They are abusing Sikhs. If you want to abuse me, do that but why are you abusing the Sikh community,” Puri told ANI.
“Kejriwal ji, many good people were associated with you when your movement against corruption started, but now they have recognised you and they could not stay with you for long...Kejriwals's credibility quotient is zero,” he added.
ALSO READ: BJP will end all welfare plans, Kejriwal says in Delhi rally
According to PTI, Kejriwal in an election meeting on Monday, quoted Ramayana saying Sita was abducted by Ravan who appeared as a golden deer, when Lord Ram went out in search of food.
The BJP leaders objected to it, alleging Kejriwal misquoted the Ramayan story and pointed out that it was another character in the epic, 'Mama Marich" who distracted Lord Rama as a golden deer when Ravan abducted Sita.
BJP accuses AAP of insulting Sikhs
{{/usCountry}}The BJP leaders objected to it, alleging Kejriwal misquoted the Ramayan story and pointed out that it was another character in the epic, 'Mama Marich" who distracted Lord Rama as a golden deer when Ravan abducted Sita.
BJP accuses AAP of insulting Sikhs
{{/usCountry}}
The BJP has also accused AAP of insulting the Sikh community over its leader Rituraj Jha's controversial remark against Union minister Puri.
BJP national spokesperson Sardar RP Singh and another Sikh leader Impreet Bakshi claimed in a joint statement that Jha called Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators "Puri's relatives".
"This is not only an insult to him but also the entire Sikh community. AAP MLA Rituraj Jha must immediately apologise to the Sikh community and Sardar Hardeep Singh Puri," they said.
Jha, the outgoing Kirari MLA, was recently at the centre of a controversy following a heated exchange with BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala.
The BJP leaders alleged Jha made the remark against Puri during a TV show, PTI reported.
"Calling Puri, a respected figure of the Sikh community, a relative of infiltrators is an insult to every Sikh. He is a distinguished personality who has enhanced India's prestige through his work as a diplomat and recognised as an honest and dedicated minister of the Indian government," they said.
(With agency inputs)