Accused of wearing a religious cloak for political gains by BJP leaders who even questioned his knowledge about his gotra (family tree), Congress president Rahul Gandhi came clean on it on Monday. Offering prayers at the Brahma temple and Pushkar ghat in poll-bound Rajasthan, Gandhi said he belongs to the 'Dattatreya' gotra that reveals him to be a descendant of Kaul Pandits hailing from Kashmir.
"When I asked him his gotra, Rahul instantly mentioned 'Kaul Datttreya'. It the same gotra which finds mention in the bahi (ledger) being maintained for over a century by our family," said Rajnath Kaul, his family priest who performed Jal-Rupi Brahma prayer at Pushkar's Savitri Ghat for him in Ajmer district.
Addressing a Congress plenary session in 2006, Gandhi had said, "The flag is my religion." Over the years, however, he seems to have changed track, softening embarking on a temple run ahead of polls. Ahead of the Gujarat elections last year, he had said, "Main Shiv ka bhakt hoon, sachaai mein believe karta hoon. BJP jo bhi bole, main apni sachaai mein believe karta hu." Few days later, his party described him a "janeu-dhari Hindu".
Before performing the seven-minute prayer at the Pushkar lake and visiting the Brahma temple on Monday, Rahul visited the Dargah Sharif shrine in Ajmer in his bid to send out a message of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood ahead of elections. He was accompanied by former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and state Congress chief Sachin Pilot.
This was his first visit to the state after the election code of conduct came into force. He later addressed multiple public gatherings in Jalore and Jaisalmer. His visit coincided with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who also addressed a massive rally in Kota.
With campaigning drawing to an end in Madhya Pradesh, political heavyweights are headed to Rajasthan which goes to polls on December 7. Modi also addressed rallies in Bhilwara and Baneshwar Dham in the neighbouring constituency.
At the rally in Pokharan on the Indi-Pak border, Rahul said the Congress party will waive farmers' loans in 10 days of forming the government in state and extend financial assistance to the youths for self-employment. "Do not trust my word on that, call up your friends in Karnataka and Punjab to ask if the promise has been kept," he said.
The Congress model of farmer loan waiver competes with the 'loan waiver' schemes of BJP-governed states, including Rajasthan. Rahul who had made a similar pledge for farmers in Madhya Pradesh was critcised by Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan. "Congress president says will do this, will do that in 10 days, he can even assure you of bringing the moon in 10 days. Not a single penny of loan has yet been waived off in Karnataka and Punjab," Chauhan said reacting to similar promise made by Rahul Gandhi in Madhya Pradesh.
Since Rahul and Congress leaders started visiting the temples, the ruling BJP has been accusing him of "temple-run" for political gains. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had minced no words and asked him, "Rahul Gandhi wears a janeu (sacred thread). We want to ask him - he is going to Ujjain - what kind of 'Jenau Dhari' are you? What is your gotra."
Rahul and religion
Jan 2006 (Hyderabad)
The flag is my religion
Nov 2017 (Gujarat)
Main Shiv ka bhakt hoon, sachaai mein believe karta hoon. BJP jo bhi bole, main apni sachaai mein believe karta hu
Nov 2017 (Gujarat)
Rahul Gandhi is a janeu-dhari Hindu (Congress)
Nov 2018 (Rajasthan)
I’m a Kaul Brahmin. My gotra is Dattatreya.
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