Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on state of religious freedom in India spark row

Congress MP and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi made remarks on the state of religious freedom in India that drew sharp criticism from the ruling BJP.

“The fight (in India) is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear a turban…whether a Sikh will be allowed to wear a kada or go to the Gurudwara. That’s what the fight is about, and it’s not just for Sikhs, but for all religions,” Rahul Gandhi said in an event in the US’s Virginia.

BJP’s national spokesperson RP Singh accused Rahul Gandhi of overlooking the Congress party’s own history with the Sikh community. 

“In 1984, 3,000 Sikhs were massacred in Delhi, their turbans were taken off, their hair chopped, and their beards shaved. He doesn’t mention that this happened when the Congress was in power,” said BJP leader RP Singh.