Rahul listed as non-Hindu visitor at Somnath temple; Cong blames BJP

Ahmedabad: In a major goof up, Congress Party's media coordinator Manoj Tyagi on Wednesday allegedly wrote down the name of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the register of non-Hindu visitors in Gujarat's famed Somnath temple.

Rahul Gandhi was paying a visit to the temple ahead of  a two-day campaign in the state and is expected to address multiple rallies.

While listing the name of Congress MP Ahmed Patel in the non-Hindu register, Tyagi also jotted down the name of Rahul Gandhi, an NDTV report said.

Clarifying that Rahul Gandhi had signed in only one register, the party produced a screenshot of Rahul Gandhi's handwritten note in the visitors' book as proof that he never listed himself as non-Hindu, that the writing was not his.

"Here is the original signature of Rahul Gandhi at Somnath Temple.Very clearly. The other signature is written as 'Rahul Gandhi ji', why would he write ji? Don't know who wrote it. BJP doing what it does best, diverting from real issues," Congress leader Deependra Hooda said.

"Rahul ji made an entry into the visitor's book, The signature which is being talked of is different,neither it is the signature of Rahul Gandhi nor was this register ever given to him," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

Alleging the BJP of conspiring against the Congress ahead of the polls, Surjewala lashed out saying, "We have no qualms in saying that Rahul Gandhi is a Hindu. Not only is Rahul Gandhiji a Hindu, he is a 'janeu dhari' Hindu. BJP should not bring down the political discourse to this level". 

Addressing a rally in Prachi of Gujarat's Junagadh district, the prime minister hit out at Congress over its treatment of Sardar Patel, who helped built the Somnath Temple.

"Had Sardar Patel not been there, there would not have been this grand temple in Somnath. So there a people who visited the Somnath Temple recently [Rahul Gandhi and Congress], I want to ask them: Do you know history? Your family members, our first prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru was not happy with the idea of a temple being built there, (sic)" he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday pushed the BJP's campaign in his home state into a high gear by addressing four back-to-back rallies.

Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for calling GST 'Gabbar Singh Tax'.

Resuming his campaign for the assembly polls in his home state, Modi also accused the Congress of taking credit and political mileage over minor schemes, like providing hand-pumps, while saying that the BJP rule brought major projects like the Narmada project for the benefit of the people.