New Delhi: The 18th Lok Sabha witnessed a rare faceoff between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi over remarks made by the leader of the opposition, allegedly associating Hindus with violence. "Hinduism is not about spreading fear, hatred, and falsehoods. Those who call themselves Hindus are engaged in violence and hate round the clock," Rahul Gandhi stated, which led to a massive uproar, with treasury benches strongly opposing his ‘anti-Hindu’ remarks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interjected, possibly for the first time, and objected to Gandhi's remarks, saying, "Calling the entire Hindu society violent is a serious issue." Rahul Gandhi responded immediately stating, "BJP and Modi are not the entire Hindu society." He added, "Narendra Modi is not the entire Hindu society. BJP is not the entire Hindu society, RSS is not the entire society. This is not BJP's contract."

Gandhi repeatedly invoked Lord Shiva, saying, "darao mat" (don't scare people). He argued that true Hindus, as exemplified by Lord Shiva, do not spread fear or hatred, but the BJP does so constantly. He accused the BJP of threatening minorities and spreading hatred and violence against Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians. Emphasizing that all religions advocate for courage and fearlessness, Gandhi cited Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

First Day, Worst Show: How Drama Unfolded in Lok Sabha

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi insulted Hindus saying that Hinduism is not about spreading fear, hatred and falsehoods. His remarks came during a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address to a joint sitting of Parliament.

The Congress leader further emphasised that all religions talk about courage, citing Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism to underline the importance of fearlessness.

During his speech, Gandhi showed a picture of Lord Shiva, which prompted Speaker Om Birla to remind him that rules do not allow displaying placards in the House. Gandhi reiterated that all religions, including Islam and Sikhism, emphasise courage and the importance of being fearless.

The incident led to demands for an apology from Gandhi, including from Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “He doesn’t know that crores of Indians in this country called themselves Hindu with pride. Is he trying to say that each one of them speaks about violence? You cannot associate violence with any religion. I demand he apologise.”

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also expressed her anger on Gandhi. Taking to X, she said, “Sheer audacity of LoP @RahulGandhi to call everyone who calls himself Hindu as “hinsak”/violent shows @INCIndia’s hatred and contempt towards Hindus. Also consistent with Hindu hate of his INDI Alliance partners. Hypocrisy in claiming “Mohabbat ki Dukaan” exposed.”

Times When Rahul And The Opposition Insulted Hindus

However, this is not the first time Rahul Gandhi or an INDI leader has insulted Hindus and Sanatan Dharma with his remarks.

Fighting Against Shakti: Before the Lok Sabha Elections, Rahul had triggered a controversy with his ‘Shakti’ remark. Addressing a public rally in Mumbai on February 17, Rahul said, "There is a word 'Shakti' in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti".

"The question is, what is that Shakti? The soul of the King is in the EVM. This is true. The soul of the King is in the EVM and in every institution of the country, in ED, CBI, and the Income Tax department". The Congress leader had also alleged that PM Modi cannot win elections without voting machines.

Removal of Sengol: Recently, Samajwadi Party MP RK Chaudhary demanded the removal of the Sengol from the Lok Sabha, labelling it as a symbol of “rajdand/rajtantra” (monarchy). As a first-time MP and a Dalit leader, Chaudhary addressed a letter to the Speaker/Protem Speaker on June 25, shortly after taking his oath. In his letter, he expressed his shock at seeing the Sengol, a Tamil word for scepter, placed next to the Speaker's chair. Chaudhary argued that while the Constitution represents the sacred values of Indian democracy, the Sengol symbolizes outdated monarchical traditions.

Eradicate Sanatan Dharma: Speaking at a conference in Chennai in September 2023, Tamil Nadu Minister Udayanidhi Stalin said Sanatana Dharma was against social justice and equality and that it should be ‘eradicated’ like malaria and dengue. The statement had drawn widespread condemnation from various quarters.

How can Lakshmi be born with 4 hands?: Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya has ignited controversy with his social media post about Goddess Lakshmi. On Deepawali last year, Maurya took to platform X (formerly Twitter) to question the depiction of Lakshmi with four hands. He posted, “While worshipping and honouring my wife on Deepotsav, I wondered how a child born in any religion, caste, race, or country has only two hands, two legs, two ears, and two eyes. There has never been a child born with four, eight, ten, twenty, or even a thousand hands. So, how can Lakshmi be depicted with four hands?” His statement triggered a massive backlash.

Should Rahul Apologise?

Republic World is currently conducting a poll asking whether the Congress leader should issue an apology.

Should Rahul Gandhi Apologise For Insulting Hindus In Lok Sabha?
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.#RahulGandhi #LokSabha #Hindu #Congress
— Republic (@republic) July 1, 2024

You can share your views by clicking on the link above to participate in the poll and voice your opinion.

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