Delhi cabinet minister resigns over Buddhist mass conversion event row

By Prateek Talukdar

Oct 09, 2022

10:15 pm

What's the story

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Rajendra Pal Gautam was forced to resign as Delhi's Social Welfare Minister on Sunday following protests by the BJP which kicked up a storm over his presence at an event in Delhi where 10,000 people converted to Buddhism on Friday. The people gathered at the event took BR Ambedkar's 22 vows including not praying to Hindu deities.

Context

Why does this story matter?

AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who is campaigning in poll-bound Gujarat, is said to have been browbeaten by BJP protests to sack Gautam in an attempt to salvage Hindu votes as the BJP branded Gautam and the event as anti-Hindu. The political feud between BJP and the AAP has been broiling since the arrest of Delhi cabinet minister Satyendar Jain.

Twitter Post

Gautam invokes Valmiki, Kanshiram after resigning

आज महर्षि वाल्मीकि जी का प्रकटोत्सव दिवस है एवं दूसरी ओर मान्यवर कांशीराम साहेब की पुण्यतिथि भी है। ऐसे संयोग में आज मैं कई बंधनों से मुक्त हुआ और आज मेरा नया जन्म हुआ है। अब मैं और अधिक मज़बूती से समाज पर होने वाले अत्याचारों व अधिकारों की लड़ाई को बिना किसी बंधन के जारी रखूँगा pic.twitter.com/buwnHYVgG8
— Rajendra Pal Gautam (@AdvRajendraPal) October 9, 2022

Information

Freed from shackles, says Gautam

After resigning, Gautam tweeted saying that he had been freed from many shackles and was reborn. He vowed to fight against social injustice more vigorously. Earlier, a video of the event called Deeksha Samaroh went viral where allegedly Hindu gods were denounced. The organizers defended the event calling it anti-caste. The video spread like wildfire, following which the BJP pressurized Kejriwal to remove Gautam.

Gujarat

Anti-AAP posters come up ahead of Kejriwal's rally

Kejriwal was rallying in Vadodara on Saturday as Gujarat is set to go to polls later this year. AAP workers removed anti-AAP posters and banners which were put up on Kejriwal's route to the rally venue. Supporters of the BJP — the ruling party in Gujarat — tore banners of AAP ahead of Kejriwal's Tiranga rally claiming that Gautam had made "anti-Hindu" statements.

Twitter Post

Satanic forces uniting against me: Kejriwal at Vadodara

अब ये लोग भगवान को भी बदनाम करने लगे हैं। ये सारी असुरी शक्तियाँ एक हो गईं हैं।

मैं एक बेहद धार्मिक आदमी हूँ। मेरा जन्म श्री कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी के दिन हुआ था। भगवान श्री कृष्ण ने मुझे एक काम देकर भेजा है - इन कंस की औलादों का सफ़ाया करना, जनता को इनसे मुक्ति दिलाना। pic.twitter.com/lBhQqNQWKx
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 8, 2022

Kejriwal

God sent me to slay descendants of Kansa: Kejriwal

Dismissing allegations of being anti-Hindu, Kejriwal declared himself a devotee of Lord Hanuman at the rally on Saturday. He compared his opponents to the descendants of Kansa — an antagonist in the epic Mahabharat slain by Lord Krishna. He added that he was born on Janmashtami, considered Krishna's birthday, and that God had sent him to destroy the corrupt descendants of Kansa.