Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma has invited Rahul Gandhi to attend Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, now Prayagraj, and said that while there, the Congress president should also visit the tomb of his grandfather, Feroze Gandhi, for the peace of his soul.
Sharma made the remarks during a press conference here on Thursday where Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also present. The UP minister was in Gandhinagar to invite the people of Gujarat and their representatives to the Ardh Kumbh later this month.
Replying to questions by the media, Sharma said, "I respectfully invite Rahul Gandhi for Kumbh and I will advise him to visit his late grandfather — the father of his father — respected Feroze Jehangir Khan Gandhi sir's tomb that is located in Prayagraj, where he has never been. Rahul Gandhi should perform puja as a scion of Dattatreya Gotra and visit his grandfather's tomb, otherwise the latter's departed soul will not attain peace and the puja will remain incomplete. Then he would complain that you invited me and the puja could not be completed."
Sharma said there was a custom in Prayag according to which people paid tributes to their forefathers. "There is an age-old tradition here where the priest performs a ritual under which one has to donate a cow for the salvation of forefathers by taking an oath of the Janeu that Rahul wears over his coat (sic)."
Sharma avoided comments on Ram Temple and Ayodhya, saying that since the Prime Minister had recently expressed his opinion on the issue, there was no need to say anything more on the subject.
Establishing Cred
- A priest who presided over the puja offered by Rahul Gandhi in Pushkar on Nov 26 had claimed his ‘gotra’ was ‘Dattatrey’ and he was a Kashmiri Brahmin
- The BJP had been questioning the Cong chief over his visits to temples in poll season and had asked him what his gotra was
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