New Delhi: Asserting that no religion talks about spreading hate, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the BJP of indulging in “adharam” in Uttar Pradesh and said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cannot be a religious leader for the language he uses.
During an interaction with civil society members on the recently-concluded Bharat Jodo Yatra at the Constitution Club here, Gandhi alleged that Adityanath was “insulting” the history of his Gorakhnath Math by the kind of language he was using.
“I am sorry, he (Adityanath) is not a religious leader, he is a common thug,” Gandhi was quoted as saying by an attendee at the meeting which was not open to the media.
Asked how the Congress would tackle the “storm of religion” in Uttar Pradesh, the former Congress chief said this was not about religion as he understands his religion, Hinduism, and has also studied other faiths such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism
“This is not dharam but adharam,” Gandhi was quoted as saying while criticising the BJP.
Asking the civil society members to choose words carefully, Gandhi said that in Uttar Pradesh, Yogi is not a religious leader and does not understand Hinduism “because if he did, he would not be doing what he is doing.”
In his interaction with them, which was coordinated by Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav, Gandhi said the Bharat Jodo Yatra was just the first step, and he had two-three ideas more which he will reveal in due course.
He also said that the over 4,000 km Kanyakumari to Kashmir yatra was a force for good, and everyone, from people to animals, participated in it.
According to another attendee, Gandhi said that during the course of the yatra some people were raising ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans and he asked them to chant ‘Jai Siya Ram’ instead.
He said that during the Kashmir leg of the yatra, he was asked by security people if he was scared, that made him confront his fear and overcome it.
The Congress also emerged from the civil society and it will continue to work with it in the future, Gandhi was quoted as saying.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Neha Khan | 
