Rahul Gandhi breaks silence.
On Thursday, a day after a major row erupted after his name allegedly figured in a register meant for non-Hindus entering Somnath Temple, a video of the Congress VP Rahul Gandhi has surfaced where he reiterates that he is a Shiv Bhakt, and doesn't need a certificate from anyone.
“My grandmother and my family are Shiv Bhakts. These things (religion) are normally kept private – we don't speak about them. We believe that our religion is our personal matter. We don't need to give a certificate about this from anyone,” Gandhi is heard telling a group of people in his first comment about his religion after the row.He was speaking at a closed door meeting in Amreli.
Gandhi, who has been drawing BJP's ire for his frequent temple visits during his poll related visits to the state in the past couple of months, also says in the video that he doesn't want to trade or barter in the name of religion or use it for political purposes.
The Congress leader said that he had only signed the visitors book at the Somnath temple, and alleged that people associated with the BJP had put his name in the second list to create the controversy. A row had erupted after the entry surfaced with BJP accusing Gandhi of fooling people with temple visits when he was not a Hindu. The Congress had, however, clarified that he was not only a Hindu by birth, but a janeu dhari Hindu, i.e. a Brahmin.
Earlier in the video, Gandhi describes Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as friends. “Sardar Patel ji and Nehru ji were friends. They were political differences, but not ideological. They were in jail together, but lies are being spread that they were enemies,” he says. The Congress leader also says in the video that he has several letters to prove that Sardar Patel was opposed to RSS, but here lies are being spread that he believed in RSS's thinking.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Rahul Gandhi")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}