New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday publicly rebuked senior Congress leader C.P. Joshi and asked him to apologise for his controversial comment that “only Pandits and Brahmins know enough to talk about Hinduism”. Though the senior Congress leader from Rajasthan issued a face-saving apology, the BJP rejected it saying his remarks had “insulted” Indian culture and the Hindu religion.
While addressing a poll gathering in Rajasthan on Thursday, Mr Joshi had reportedly said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP MP Uma Bharti and Hindu activist Sadhvi Ritambhara are from “lower castes” and know nothing about Hinduism. He said it is the Pandits and Brahmins who are learned and know of Hinduism.
In a video he is heard saying, “Does anyone know what is the caste of Uma Bharti? What is the caste of Sadhvi Ritambhara? In this country, if anyone knows about religion, it is the Pandits and the Brahmins.”
Sensing trouble, Mr Gandhi on Friday got into damage control mode and tweeted, “C.P. Joshi’s comments are against the Congress Party’s principles. No party leader should make statements that hurt any section of the society. I am sure Joshiji has realised his mistake in view of the Congress’ beliefs and workers’ sentiment. He should apologise.”
After Mr Gandhi’s rebuke and attempt to distance the party from his remarks, the senior Congress leader did not offer an unconditional apology, but tweeted, “Out of respect for the Congress’ beliefs and workers’ sentiment, I apologise if my comments hurt any section of the society.”
But Mr Joshi’s remarks, ahead of Assembly elections in Rajasthan on December 7 and Madhya Pradesh on November 28 have the potential of alienating voters from the party. He has launched his poll campaign in Nathdrawa on Friday, where he is contesting as a Congress candidate.
Mr Joshi’s ambiguous apology was rejected by the BJP and it asked the Congress chief to express regret instead. BJP Spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “The statement of Congress leader (Joshi) is baseless, wrong and condemnable. It reflects that the Congress doesn’t know the history of Indian culture and Hindu religion”.
