Protesters click photos, raise ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans in presence of police officers; AAP maintains silence over the incident; police say it was a ‘symbolic march’, no one detained
Protesters click photos, raise ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans in presence of police officers; AAP maintains silence over the incident; police say it was a ‘symbolic march’, no one detained
As Delhi police officers watched, members of the BJP’s youth wing — Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) — raised ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans and put up a saffron flag, which had an image of Hindu deity Ram, on top of a pole outside the house of Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Saturday evening.
The group of about 20 BJYM members, led by their Delhi unit president, Vasu Rukhar, were protesting against the Minister, demanding an apology from him over his presence at an alleged mass conversion event organised by a social organisation founded by him.
The BJYM members, who were also carrying a photo of Hindu deity Hanuman, recited ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ outside his house.
“Sanatan dharm ki jai ho… Bharat Mata ki Jai (Long live Sanatan dharma… Long Live Bharat Mata),” the group raised slogans after putting up the saffron flag. They also covered a nameplate outside the house with a saffron cloth.
Mr. Gautam came under attack on Friday when BJP leaders shared a video and claimed that he was part of “10,000 people” purportedly converting to Buddhism. The party also alleged that he was a part of a pledge taken at the event to not worship Hindu deities..
The Minister defended himself by saying that the event happens every year and the oath is a part of 22 vows taken by late B.R. Ambedkar when he converted to Buddhism along with lakhs of Dalits in Nagpur on October 14, 1956.
Resignation demand
“He [Mr. Gautam] has to take back the statements he made against Hindu religion from the stage. He has no right to remain a Minister,” Mr. Rukhar said outside Mr. Gautam’s house.
The group started protesting around 6 p.m. and around 6.20 p.m. one person climbed on the shoulders of another and put up the flag. Many of them then clicked photos and raised slogans before leaving the spot around 6.30 p.m.
Asked whether the protesters will be detained, a police officer at the spot said it is a call for senior officers to take.
When contacted, a senior police officer said around 15-20 BJYM members began a “symbolic march” outside the house of the AAP Minister. “The group stood there for 10-15 minutes, after which the police asked them to vacate the spot and they left,” the officer said, adding that nobody was detained.
The Aam Aadmi Party continued its silence over the controversy. When contacted for a comment on Saturday’s incident, the AAP spokesperson did not respond.
In March, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence was vandalised by BJYM workers, according to police, and a man was seen climbing on the main gate of the premises in CCTV footage. BJYM workers, including its national president Tejasvi Surya, were protesting outside the residence of Mr. Kejriwal against his Assembly speech on the movie The Kashmir FIles.
