Hyderabad MP and firebrand MIM politician Asaduddin Owaisi jumped into the BJP versus Congress slugfest over Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the Somnath temple, to dismiss both parties as old boys’ clubs.
Owaisi pointed out that both the Congress and the BJP have been eagerly claiming their leaders to be Hindu. Despite this, he charged, they exclude people like him as communal, while claiming secular nationalist credentials for themselves.
Cong says it’s VP is Hindu & janeu dhari (BRAHMAN)
— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) November 29, 2017
BJP says their Leader Modi is Hindu (& OBC )
This is very esteemed club something like “Old School Boys Network”
people like me are denied entry as I am only communal ,rest are Secular,Nationalist...... https://t.co/ZZUBacCw2p
Owaisi’s tweet came after a Twitter storm was unleashed over Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi purportedly registering himself under the ‘Non-Hindu’ pilgrims list while visiting the Somnath Temple in poll-bound Gujarat on Wednesday.
The Congress party, however, hit back by claiming that the BJP had created a fake entry to discredit the Congress ahead of the polls.
"We have no qualms in saying that Rahul Gandhi is a Hindu. Not only is Rahul Gandhiji a Hindu, he is a 'janeu dhari' (Brahmin) Hindu. BJP should not bring down the political discourse to this level," Congress Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala lashed out.
The Congress’s official Twitter handle also released a clarification, stating that Rahul Gandhi had signed only one visitor’s book at the temple. “Any other image being circulated is fabricated,” the tweet asserted.
Clarification: There is only one visitor's book at Somnath Temple that was signed by Congress VP Rahul Gandhi. Any other image being circulated is fabricated.
— Congress (@INCIndia) November 29, 2017
Desperate times call for desperate measures? pic.twitter.com/KOokFOH83z
Rahul Gandhi’s Somnath visit also drew scorn from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is campaigning for the BJP in Gujarat.
Stating that it was former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru who had opposed the construction of the shrine, Modi reportedly said at a rally in the town of Prachi, "Today some people are remembering Somnath, I have to ask them - Have you forgotten your history? Your family members, our first Prime Minister, was not happy with the idea of a temple being built there.”