Congress declares Rahul 'janeudhari' after 'non-Hindu' entry at Somnath sparks political row

The Congress on Wednesday lambasted the BJP for raking up the issue of religious faith to question party vice president Rahul Gandhi's credentials as a caste Hindu.

The Congress party spokesman Randeep Surjewala presented a string of photos of Rahul Gandhi proclaiming he was a not only a practising Hindu but a twice born janeudhari Hindu at a hurriedly convened press conference in New Delhi Wednesday evening.

The Congress defence came close on the heels of high drama at Somnath temple Rahul visited in the morning. BJP claimed the Cong vice president signed the register kept at the sanctum sanctorum meant for non-Hindu visitors.

Congress claimed Rahul never signed on that register. Surjewala claimed it was a conspiracy to malign Rahul Gandhi on grounds of his religious faith. He said party media coordinator Manoj Tyagi who accompanied Rahul to the Somnath temple was made to sign on a blank register on the pretext of allowing party workers into the temple.

Do you think Rahul Gandhi will write his name with a suffix ji himself? It was all made up by the BJP, he said

Watch: In-Charge Communications @rssurjewala debunks the fabricated entry of Rahul Gandhi at the Somnath Temple register. #ShameOnYouBJP pic.twitter.com/mq2exKYwPc

— Congress (@INCIndia) November 29, 2017

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Earlier BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya pitchforked the issue in public domain when he tweeted about the Somnath temple register row.

"If he isn't a Hindu by faith, let alone a practising one, then why has he been fooling people with these temple visits?" he asked.

It is alleged that Congress party’s media coordinator Manoj Tyagi made the goof-up. While writing party MP Ahmed Patel’s name in the separate non-Hindu register, he also wrote down Gandhi’s name.

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