UP BJP seeks apology from Rahul Gandhi over 'Hindu' remark

Lucknow, July 14 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh BJP on Sunday passed a resolution in which it said had Rahul Gandhi come to power, he would have banned the use of the word 'Hindu'.

The party in its political resolution, passed in its state executive meeting here, also attacked Samajwadi Party – an ally of Congress – saying the party pretends to be the well-wisher of the backward and Dalits, but does something else when in power.

"Recently, the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha that those who call themselves Hindus indulge in violence, hatred and lies 24 hours a day. His statement is an insult to all Hindus of India," the resolution said.

"The Hindu society is hurt, no one has ever dared to communally call the majority of Hindus of the country as 'arajak' (anarchist) Hindus in the sacred temple of Lok Sabha, His statement is like imposing a ban on calling oneself a Hindu," it said.

"This is the situation when he has become the leader of the opposition. Had he come to power, he would have definitely banned the use of the word Hindu.

"This working committee of BJP UP strongly condemns the statement of Rahul Gandhi and we demand that he apologise to the entire Hindu society for this statement," the resolution added.

On BJP's Lok Sabha poll performance, the resolution said, the working committee takes it as a "blessing".

On SP, it said, "We remember that during the SP government, the name of Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb Ambedkar was removed from the name of Kannauj Medical College. Their (SP) officials, showing anger, even broke the board bearing Baba Saheb's name. Not only this, in an event, a SP leader called Baba Saheb a land mafia who encroaches upon land." The resolution hailed the conferring of Bharat Ratna to Chowdhury Charan Singh, former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, and former deputy prime minister LK Advani.

A resolution was also passed to mourn the death of 28 BJP leaders.