Minister in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government Rajendra Pal Gautam, who triggered controversy over his presence at a “mass religious conversion” event, on Sunday resigned from the Cabinet.
Sharing his resignation letter on Twitter, Gautam said: “Today I have been freed from many shackles and took a new birth. This coincides with the birth anniversary of Maharishi Valmiki and death anniversary of Manyavar (Hon’ble) Kanshi Ram. Now I will intensify my fight for the rights of the society and atrocities on it without any restrictions.”
After submitting his resignation, he told the media: “Such an issue has been created out of oaths that are repeated by several people of the country. The BJP has made it an issue, [they] are trying to insult me and my party.”
He was criticized by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an opposition party in Delhi, after he attended an event on October 5, where at least 10,000 people took vows to convert to Buddhism, follow Lord Buddha, and give up the worship of Hindu gods.
A purported video of the event went viral in which the minister is seen sharing the stage with other people during the event. He is even seen taking an oath that allegedly denounces the Hindu gods.
The pledge that was made by people at the event was: “I will never hold Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) as gods and worship them. I will neither hold Ram and Krishna as God nor worship them ever. I will not believe in or worship Gauri (Goddess Parvati), Ganapti (Lord Ganesha) or any other deity of the Hindu religion.”
Soon after the video went viral, Gautam issued a clarification saying that he respects all deities and would not even think of insulting them.
However, the BJP accused the AAP of hurting religious sentiments and demanded that the party remove the legislator from his position. A delegation of the BJP’s Delhi unit even met New Delhi deputy commissioner of police and filed a complaint against the minister.