Massive Protest Outside Sonia Gandhi's House Over Rahul's Turban, Kada Remark

New Delhi: Members of the Sikh community and BJP leaders protested outside Sonia Gandhi 's residence in Delhi against Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi ’s turban, kada remark, during his recent visit to the United States.

BJP leader RP Singh among other members of the party who were part of the protest have been detained.

The protest was launched by Sikh Prakoshth of BJP against Rahul Gandhi outside his residence over his statement on the Sikh community.

Many members of the Sikh community recalled what Congress did in the 1984 riots when hundreds of their members were killed. They also recalled Rajiv Gandhi's statement when he said, “earth shakes when a big tree falls”.

Protesting people further said that they are planning to launch a bigger protest which will include around 25,000 people from the Sikh community whenever Rahul Gandhi is back from his US visit.

‘Dangerous narrative': BJP on Rahul's statement 

The BJP came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the US about the Sikh community, saying the Congress leader is trying to create a "dangerous narrative" by speaking on "sensitive issues" abroad.

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here that Gandhi's remarks were "sinister" in nature as he tried to spread falsehood among the members of the Sikh community living abroad to "eke out a living" and do not have much connection with India.

With his remarks, the Congress leader has attacked the country, its legal system and electoral system, he said.

"I condemn in the strongest terms the statement he has made about Sikhs not being able to wear turbans and kadas," the BJP leader from the Sikh community said.

Referring to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that happened during the Congress ' rule, Puri said, "If there has been one time in our history when as a community we have felt anxiety, a sense of insecurity and existential threat, it has been the times when Rahul Gandhi 's family has been in the seats of power." "In 1984, a pogrom was carried out against the Sikh community. As many as 3,000 innocent people were killed. People were dragged out of their homes, tyres were put around them and burnt alive," he said.

That was the only time in history when Sikhs faced a problem for their turbans as they faced an existential threat after Rajiv Gandhi's statement that when a big tree falls, the earth shakes, Puri said.

"In the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, many of my friends shed their turbans and got clean shaven out of fear because they were attacked," he added.

Addressing a gathering of several hundred Indian Americans in Herndon, a Virginia suburb of Washington DC, on Monday, Gandhi accused the RSS of considering some religions, languages and communities of being inferior to others and said the fight in India is about this and not about politics.

"First of all, you have to understand what the fight is about. The fight is not about politics. That is superficial," Gandhi said as he asked one of the Sikh attendees in the front rows to give his name. "What is your name, brother with the turban," he asked.

"The fight is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India or a kada in India. Or he, as a Sikh, is going to be able to go to a gurdwara. That's what the fight is about. And not just for him, for all religions," said Gandhi, who is on a four-day visit to the US, which began Saturday.

Hitting out at the Congress leader, Puri said Gandhi, of late, has been making statements on sensitive issues, which "involve our national identity, unity, the strength of our unity and diversity". "I think he is trying to set a new kind of narrative which I think is a dangerous narrative," he said.

"I think this is far more sinister because Rahul Gandhi was trying to spread a false narrative while speaking in front of those, who belong to my community and are trying to eke out a living in the US with hard work and honesty. Because they do not have much connection with the country (India)," he added.

With inputs from PTI