I like going to temples, will continue it: Rahul

February 12, 2018 19:20

Facing the charge of practising "soft Hindutva", Congress president Rahul Gandhi today defended his visits to temples and religious places, asserting that he would continue it.

"I like going to temples, wherever I get religious place I go there. I feel good and feel happy, and I will continue (to go)," Gandhi told reporters in Karnataha's Jewargi.

On a four-day election campaign in poll-bound Karnataka, Gandhi was responding to BJP state President B S Yeddyurappa's "Election Hindu" jibe at him.

"I heartily welcome #ElectionHindu @OfficeOfRG to Ballari. The #Congress President will fulfill our dream of a #CongressMuktKarnataka," Yeddyurappa had said in a tweet, ahead of Gandhi's visit to the state from February 10.

Gandhi's temple run in his election itinerary which began in the run-up to the Gujarat assembly polls, has invited the criticism from the BJP that it was an election exercise.

Other critics have called it "soft Hindutva."

During his current tour to north Karnataka, Gandhi visited Goddess Huligamma temple, a famous shrine in the region, and Gavi Siddheshwara Mutt, a mutt of the majority Lingayat community.

He also visited a Dargah in Raichur today.

In his brief interaction with reporters, Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yeddyurappa to inform people about the reasons why ministers during BJP rule in the state had to go to jail.

He said "Modiji comes here and speaks about corruption. Yeddyurappa is someone who had gone to jail and come."

"When Yeddyurappa and Modiji speak about corruption, they should inform people that during BJP rule four ministers had gone to jail, Yeddyurappa himself had gone to jail and 11 ministers had to resign. Let them explain about it," he said. -- PTI

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