Team News Riveting
New Delhi, October 9
Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Sunday resigned from his post after landing into a controversy over his presence at a religious conversion event where Hindu deities were allegedly denounced.
The BJP had attacked him and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after a video went viral showing the minister attending the event on October 5. AAP MLA from Seemapuri and Minister in the Arvind Kejriwal government Rajendra Pal Gautam actively participated in the event where 10,000 Hindus were converted en masse to Buddhism. The controversial event, organized by the Buddhist Society of India, was conducted at the Dr B R Ambedkar Bhavan in Jhandewalan in New Delhi.
During the event, a saffron-clad man administered an oath to the crowd. The man urged the Hindus to disassociate themselves from their original Faith and desist from the worship of deities.
Sensing the seriousness of the situation ahead of Gujarat election where Hindutva is a big card, Kejriwal convinced Gautam to resign. In his resignation letter, Rajendra Pal Gautam wrote, “I personally attended the Buddhist Dhamma Deeksha Samaroh organized by Mission Jai Bhim and Buddhist Society of India on the occasion of Ashok Vijayadashami on October 5, 2022, at Ambedkar Bhavan Rani Jhansi Road as a member of society. This had nothing to do with the Aam Aadmi Party and my council of ministers. Babasaheb’s great-grandson Rajratna Ambedkar repeated 22 vows of Babasaheb which were repeated by more than 10000 people as well as me. After that, I see that the BJP is targeting our leader Shri Arvind Kejriwal Ji, and the Aam Aadmi Party, it is very sad for me.”
“I do not want my leader Shri Arvind Kejriwal or the party to be in any trouble because of me. I am a true solider of the party and I will follow the ideals shown by Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Gautam Buddh throughout my entire life,” he added in the letter.
