New Delhi. The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday filed three police complaints against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his comments in the US on Sikhs and reservation. The party filed these complaints for Gandhi’s “divisive and provocative comments” on reservation and the condition of Sikhs in India during his recent visit to the US.
The development comes a day after the Congress on Wednesday filed a complaint at the Tughlaq Road police station against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over controversial remarks made by leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The Congress had alleged that the statements of NDA leaders were aimed at endangering Gandhi’s security and disrupting peace across the country, especially in view of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that Delhi BJP’s Sikh cell, SC Morcha and ST Morcha have filed complaints against Gandhi in various police stations.
Sachdeva said, “Rahul Gandhi’s statement about Sikhs in America has hurt the religious sentiments of the community in the country, while his comments on reservation have angered the Scheduled Castes.” The complaint filed against Gandhi by Charanjit Singh Lovely of the Delhi BJP’s Sikh cell alleged that the Congress leader’s comments about the “alleged” situation of Sikhs in India have “promoted the feeling of separatism among Sikhs in India.” Sachdeva and another Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arvinder Singh Lovely said at a press conference here that despite holding the important post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi’s statements, whether in India or abroad, are “inciting social animosity”. Lovely joined the BJP from the Congress in May.
Lovely said, “This is not the Congress I knew, as the Congress has always claimed that it rises above caste-based politics. However, Rahul Gandhi’s statements are part of a conspiracy to divide the country, which is a kind of anti-national activity that the people of India will never forgive.” BJP leaders said in a statement that Gandhi’s statements in the US have caused “concern” not only in the Sikh community but also in the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe communities (ST) in India.
He said that the Congress leader’s comments have tarnished India’s image even abroad.
Sachdeva said his remarks had “hurt” Sikhs. He said Charanjit Singh Lovely has lodged his complaint at the Tilak Nagar police station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. He said the conveners of the Delhi BJP’s SC Morcha and ST Morcha have also lodged complaints against Gandhi at the Parliament Street and Punjabi Bagh police stations respectively for his comments on reservation.