BJP creating drama in country: CM Gehlot on Gyanvapi row

Jaipur, May 17 (PTI) Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday accused the BJP of creating a new drama in the country on the issue of Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque and asserted that saffron party’s policies are going to ruin the nation.

"BJP has no faith in democracy…Its leaders are doing politics wearing the mask of democracy. The policies, programmes, and principles of these (BJP) people are going to ruin the country," Gehlot said, while addressing the Azadi Gaurav Yatra of Congress Seva Dal here.

Gehlot said that they (BJP) are going to spread violence and tension in the country and pitch one brother against another.

"Now, they will create a new drama in Varanasi. It has started from yesterday on news channels, and on social media too. There will be some 100 such places where they keep creating controversy, so how long will you keep Hindu-Muslim fighting in the country? They have lived together for centuries and they have to live together for centuries," Gehlot said.

The chief minister said this while referring to the court-ordered videography survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid complex in Varanasi where a Shivling is said to be found.

He said that one should not hesitate expressing their views or else history will forget them. "If we remain firm on our ideology, then at least it will be written in the history that the people of Congress did not give up to keep Sarvadharma Sambhav, democracy, and socialism alive," he said.

Later in a tweet, Gehlot said, "People of all religions, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, and Parsis have lived together in India for centuries and will continue for centuries. That is why the message of 'Jodo India' has also been given through Nav Sankalp declaration of Congress at its just concluded Chintan Shivir in Udaipur." He further said that the country has come to know their (BJP leaders’) truth that they want to rule by making people fight. “This weakens the country. This drama will not last much longer. The country will answer them when the time comes."

On Monday, a Varanasi court had ordered the sealing of a pond in the Gyanvapi Masjid complex after lawyers representing the Hindu petitioners said a Shivling was found there during the court-mandated videography survey.

However, a mosque management committee member disputed the claim, saying the object was part of the water fountain mechanism at the 'wazookhana' reservoir where devotees carry out ablutions before offering namaz.

The mosque is located close to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and the court there is hearing a plea by a group of women seeking permission for daily prayers before the idols on its outer walls.

Gehlot reiterated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had conspired to topple his elected government almost two years ago.

He said, "The conspiracy to topple the government was not a trivial one, that of Amit Shah ji, Dharmendra Pradhan ji and that of Shekhawat sahib of Jodhpur." He claimed that even now Shekhawat is not giving his 'voice sample' in a case registered in this regard.