AAP Minister in Delhi Rajendra Pal Gautam resigns over attending conversion ceremony

The BJP had attacked him and the AAP after a video was circulated showing him attending a conversion event on October 5

Rajendra Pal Gautam. File. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena

Delhi Cabinet Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam resigned from his post on on Sunday days after he found himself in a political storm after attending an event in which around 10,000 people converted to Buddhism in the Capital. The BJP had attacked the minister for “insulting Hindu Gods and Goddesses” at the event and demanded that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sack him.

Sharing his resignation on twitter, Mr. Gautam said that after he participated at the event, he had noticed that the BJP had been targeting Mr. Kejriwal and the AAP over his participation which saddened him. “I will continue to work for the party to strengthen India and will follow the teachings of Babasaheb Ambedkar all my life. The BJP has a problem with me following the teaching of Babasaheb Ambedkar and is using this to play dirty politics… I do not wish that due to me my leader Mr. Kejriwal and my party are harmed in anyway,” Mr. Gautam said in his resignation letter.

आज महर्षि वाल्मीकि जी का प्रकटोत्सव दिवस है एवं दूसरी ओर मान्यवर कांशीराम साहेब की पुण्यतिथि भी है। ऐसे संयोग में आज मैं कई बंधनों से मुक्त हुआ और आज मेरा नया जन्म हुआ है। अब मैं और अधिक मज़बूती से समाज पर होने वाले अत्याचारों व अधिकारों की लड़ाई को बिना किसी बंधन के जारी रखूँगा pic.twitter.com/buwnHYVgG8

— Rajendra Pal Gautam (@AdvRajendraPal) October 9, 2022

The AAP had not officially reacted to Mr. Gautam’s participation in the event. A second term Minister holding the portfolio of Social Welfare, SC, ST and Gurudwara Elections, Mr. Gautam is AAP’s MLA from northeast Delhi’s Seemapuri Assembly constituency and comes from the Jatav community which has strong traditional ties with Buddhism.

Published - October 09, 2022 06:27 pm IST