New Delhi [India], May 4 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary Tarun Chugh took a potshot at Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi for referring to Lord Ram and other deities as "mythological".
"Lord Ram is not a myth, but the country's soul. Every being has Ram. If you wear the spectacles of Italy, how would you find Lord Ram?" Chugh told ANI.
Citing renowned poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's famous couplet, Chugh accused Rahul Gandhi of "insulting" Lord Ram and the Sanatan Dharma. Labelling the Congress as "Ram Virodhi", he criticised the opposition party for boycotting the consecration of Ram temple and denying the deity's existence earlier.
"Jab nash manuj par chhata hai, pahle vivek mar jata hai. Congress leader 'Mandbuddhi' Rahul Gandhi has always insulted Lord Ram, Indian culture, and Sanatan. This is the same Congress which boycotted the consecration of Ram temple. In 2007, they submitted an affidavit that Lord Ram didn't exist. This is the 'Ram Virodhi' ideology of Congress," he said.
Speaking on the ban on all imports from Pakistan, Chugh said, "We welcome the ban on all types of imports from Pakistan, which is a diplomatic attack by PM Modi's government. Those who spread terrorism will not find a place in India's market. This decision is not only commercial but also diplomatic...India not only responds but also takes action... This is a welcome step. Congress governments adopted a soft approach towards Pakistan for decades...But this is PM Modi's government, there will be neither trade nor dealings with those who support terrorism."
Poonawalla earlier lashed out at Gandhi over his remarks, stating that it is now typical of the Congress party to "insult" Hindus.
He also criticised the Congress for "insulting" the forces by questioning the surgical strikes while accusing the opposition party of "rashtra droh" (treason).
"First, they (Congress) did 'rashtra droh' by insulting the forces, by questioning the surgical strikes, by giving a clean chit to Pakistan. Now, they are showing their true face as 'Ram Drohi'. This is not 'sayyog', it is a planned use of votebank. Time and again, insulting lord Ram and Hindus has become the identity of the Congress," Poonawalla told ANI.
The BJP leader said that the Congress government had earlier submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court, stating that Lord Ram didn't exist and wanted to "destroy" Ram Setu.
"This is not the first time Congress has said this. Years ago, Sonia Gandhi's government gave an affidavit in the Supreme Court that lord Ram did not exist, and they wanted to take away Ram Setu to destroy it. Following the footsteps of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi has gone to foreign soil, and he said lord Ram is imaginary," Poonawalla said.