Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 30 : Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson CR Kesavan on Friday strongly criticised former Vice President Hamid Ansari's remarks on Mahmud Ghazni, saying that he was not a foreign invader but an Indian.
BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan condemned Ansari's comments, questioning whether the Congress leadership and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi agree with his views on the brutal raider. He accused the Congress party of whitewashing the brutal raids of Mahmud Ghazni, who demolished Hindu temples and murdered thousands of people.
Kesavan pointed out that the Islamic invasions of India, starting from the 8th century, systematically targeted sacred Hindu landmarks.
In a post X, Kesavan shared a video of former Vice President Hamid Ansari making the comment.
He stated, "Ghazni was not a foreign invader, he was Indian'! Indeed shocking remarks by former Vice President Shri. Hamid Ansari ji, who was the Congress led UPA govt's choice for the post of Vice President, not once but twice. Does the Congress leadership and LOP Rahul Gandhi agree with such whitewashing of mercenary brutal raids as mere domestic acts, which demolished Hindu temples and murdered thousands? Beginning with the Islamic invasions of the early 8th century until the Mughal rule, sacred Hindu religious landmarks were systematically targeted. The barbaric Mahmud Ghazni raided India 17 times in the 11th century, ravaging the Mathura temple and breaking Somnath temple's Jyotirlinga. Does Nehru's Congress which vehemently opposed the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple agree with these remarks trying to normalise such brutality which was aimed at annihilating the very foundations of our Sanatan Sanskriti?"
Reacting to the same, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala accused the Congress party of always eulogising Hindu haters and whitewashing their atrocities.
While speaking to ANI, Poonwala said, "The Congress ecosystem always eulogises Hindu haters. Whoever attacks or commits atrocities on Hindus is always subjected to whitewashing by the Congress ecosystem. Now, Hamid Ansari says that Ghazni was not a cruel person. Ghazni was just an Indian... Even if the person is doing tukde tukde of India, whether it's Sharjeel, Yaqub, Afzal or Umar, they stand in support of such elements. It shows the Hindu hatred they have in their mind."
Poonawala also criticised Rahul Gandhi for skipping important events, including the beating retreat ceremony and the Independence Day program, accusing him of prioritising his family's interests over the Constitution.
"'Sena and Samvidhan ka Aapman is Congress's pehchan'. Congress will cry about protocol, but they will not follow it when LOP is also traditionally expected to be part of the beating retreat ceremony... Rahul Gandhi because he feels his family is above the Constitution and the Army, he bunks it. ... He bunks the Vice President Oath, the CGI Oath, and the 15th August programme. It shows that for him, his 'parivar tantra' is more important than 'samvidhan tantra' and insulting the Army is natural DNA of Rahul Gandhi," he added.