Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gyan Dev Ahuja has provoked outrage by “purifying” a Ram temple at Ramgarh in Rajasthan’s Alwar with holy Ganga water after Opposition Congress leader Tikaram Jully, a Dalit, participated in its consecration ceremony.
A video of the “purification” surfaced on social media on Monday, purportedly showing Ahuja spraying Gangajal on the temple premises. Ahuja justified the ritual, saying purifying the temple was important as “some impure people” entered the premises on Sunday.
“I do not want to take anyone’s name, but we all know who was at the temple. Mai apna muh ganda nahi karna chahta hu,” said Ahuja, who drew flak in 2016 for calling the Jawaharlal Nehru University a sex den and claiming over 3,000 used condoms and 2,000 liquor bottles were found daily on its campus.
Jully said Ahuja’s action showed the BJP’s mentality. “I have raised the untouchability issue in the assembly and will lead a campaign against it. The BJP is purifying the temple because of my Dalit identity. It is not only an attack on my faith but will also potentially encourage crimes related to untouchability.” He added that people from all the communities, irrespective of caste and religion, have always supported him.
Jully said that does the BJP hate the Dalits so much that they cannot even see them worshipping in the temples. “Are the gods their [BJP] monopoly? The chief minister [Bhajan Lal Sharma] and the BJP state president [Madan Rathore] should clarify whether they support this action,” said Jully, a three-time lawmaker from the Alwar rural constituency who was the social justice and empowerment minister in the previous Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government.
{{/usCountry}}Jully said that does the BJP hate the Dalits so much that they cannot even see them worshipping in the temples. “Are the gods their [BJP] monopoly? The chief minister [Bhajan Lal Sharma] and the BJP state president [Madan Rathore] should clarify whether they support this action,” said Jully, a three-time lawmaker from the Alwar rural constituency who was the social justice and empowerment minister in the previous Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress has called for demonstrations across the state on Tuesday and planned to burn effigies of the BJP leaders.
Gehlot condemned Ahuja’s action, saying sprinkling Gangajal after Jully’s visit to the temple showed the BJP’s ill-will towards Dalits. “Such narrow-mindedness is not acceptable in a civilised society in the 21st century.” He questioned the chief minister and the state BJP chief whether they agreed with this behaviour of their senior leader. “Will the BJP take action against its leader for this heinous act?”
Ahuja has been in the news for his controversial statements. Ahuja backed cow vigilantism and called for lynching alleged cow smugglers and those who slaughter cows. In 2018, he called cow slaughter a bigger crime than terrorism. Ahuja, an upper caste from the Sindhi community, is a former three-time lawmaker from Ramgarh. In November, his nephew, Jai Ahuja, was denied the BJP for the Ramgarh assembly by-poll.
BJP state chief Madan Rathore distanced the party from Ahuja. “The party does not support such acts. I have had a word with Ahuja...I did not understand why he made such a comment. Our party never believes in such words.”