Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday targeted the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for politicizing religion. He accused the BJP-RSS of turning the kind and gentle Lord Ram into Rambo and Lord Hanuman into a symbol of anger. Baghel said that these days India is passing through an era of aggressive nationalism.
Speaking to The Indian Express, CM Bhupesh Baghel said that in April there were reports of communal violence from all over India. He said that there is no room for disagreement in this. Baghel said that all this will not last much and Congress will come back.
The Congress leader said, “Ram is embedded in our culture. Rama is both corporeal and formless. We have accepted Rama in many different forms. In which we know the Ram of Kabir, Ram of Tulsi and Ram of Shabri. Ram lives in the heart and mind of every Indian.” He said that there is a different form of Ram for everyone. Farmers see him differently, tribals see him differently. Whereas intellectuals and devotees see him in another form.
He further said, “Mahatma Gandhi also saw Ram in his spirit. His last words were ‘O Ram’ and he used to recite Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram. But today the way BJP and RSS see Ram and the agenda they are setting has turned Maryada Purushottam Ram into an aggressive warrior. They are being made Rambo.
He said, “Lord Hanuman is the epitome of humility, devotion and knowledge. If you look at the old pictures of Hanuman, he is in devotional meditation posture. But today his poster is being shown in an angry and aggressive manner.
Apart from this, Baghel said about the Congress that at this time the society is facing the era of aggressive nationalism. Disagreement is not respected. Attempts are made to suppress dissent. Congress will not be able to do this. Rather, Congress has never done this and never will. He said that he is hopeful that the phase the country is going through will end one day and people will realize that all this has become too much, too much violence.
Baghel said that former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is the only leader who is firmly fighting the BJP without backing down. He said that he is the only person who directly talks on the issues of the people. Be it inflation, unemployment, GST. Rahul Gandhi is not afraid to attack BJP.