Launching a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi over his visit to temples in Gujarat, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader G.V.L. Narasimha Rao on Wednesday accused him of following in the footsteps of medieval sultans like Alauddin Khalji and Aurangzeb.
“Aurangzeb had destroyed many temples during his rule. However, when the common people opposed him, he promised to build two or three temples. Alauddin Khalji did the same... And now Rahul Gandhi is going in the same direction,” Mr. Rao said.
During his campaign trail, Mr. Gandhi visited a string of temples in the State. The BJP has accused him of playing the soft Hindutva card in a bid to attract the majority community.
“Gandhi’s visits to temples is a drama. Gandhi is trying to mislead the people by embarking on temple visits, which has become a compulsion for the Congress vice-president in view of the elections,” the BJP leader said.
Talking to presspersons, Mr. Rao termed “good” the proposal of the Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board on resolving the Ayodhya issue, and asked Mr. Gandhi to clarify the party’s stand by breaking his “silence”.
He wanted to know the party’s view on the “invader” Mughal emperor Babur, who is believed to have constructed the mosque in Ayodhya in the 16th Century.
