Congress remarks on Gandhi Peace Prize for Gita Press proof of party's contempt for India, Hindu religion: BJP

New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on the Congress over its remarks on Gita Press being awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize and said it is proof of the party's contempt for India, Hindu religion and the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, on Sunday alleged that the decision to honour Gita Press with the Gandhi Peace Prize is a "travesty" and "it's like awarding Savarkar and Godse".

Sudhanshu Trivedi, the BJP's national spokesperson, said in response, "The kind of undesirable and objectionable comment that the Congress party has made over the awarding of the Gandhi Peace Prize to Gita Press, we condemn it." Trivedi was addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters.

The Congress' remarks are not just against Gita Press but the Bhagavad Gita itself, he claimed.

"Congress leaders do not miss any chance to express their contempt for anything associated with this country's traditions, culture, Indianness and Hindu religion. This is their mindset," Trivedi alleged.

The BJP spokesperson said Mahatma Gandhi had written to Gita Press, commending its work and had suggested it not to take any advertisements.

"And accepting as principle Gandhi ji's suggestion, Gita Press has neither taken any advertisements so far nor has it expressed its own opinion on any issue… (It) just published literature," Trivedi said.

Trivedi claimed Gandhi had also told Gita Press not to take any donations from outside.

Following Gandhi's principles, Gita Press has said that it is proud of being honoured with the Gandhi Peace Prize but it will not accept the prize amount of Rs 1 crore, he said.

"The kind of character that the Congress has shown in the Gita Press matter, it is clear proof of its contempt for India, Indianness, Indian culture, Hindu religion and the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi," the BJP spokesperson said.