Case against Rahul Gandhi, Pappu Yadav in Varanasi over Ram Mandir skit
A Parliament complex skit on Ram temple donation theft has led to an FIR in Varanasi against Congress's Rahul Gandhi and MPs Pappu Yadav and Awadhesh Prasad.
An FIR was registered in Varanasi on Saturday against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Independent MP Pappu Yadav and Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad over a skit in the Parliament complex on the theft of Ram temple donations.
Varanasi Police said the case was registered at Kotwali police station on a complaint by seers who alleged that the three opposition leaders had insulted Sanatan Dharma. Gaurav Banswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kashi Zone, said the FIR was filed under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 196, 299, 302 and 3(5).
In Delhi, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj and party legislators also filed a police complaint, alleging that the protest hurt religious sentiments. Swaraj, the MP from New Delhi, submitted her complaint at Parliament Street police station along with BJP MLAs.
She said, “Yesterday, on the Parliament premises, under the guise of a protest, MPs Pappu Yadav ji, Awadhesh Prasad ji and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi ji staged a drama. This was not a protest. It was a mockery of Sanatan culture, a ridicule of the saint community, and a scornful insult to Indian traditions.”
She added, “In a democracy, the Constitution certainly gives you the right to protest, but it does not permit you to hurt the faith of any community.... that is why we have come to the police station today. We have submitted a complaint, sought the registration of an FIR, and requested an immediate investigation into the matter.”
The skit was staged on Friday in front of the Makar Dwar at the Parliament complex. Pappu Yadav, dressed in saffron, performed with other opposition MPs to protest the embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The MPs, including Gandhi, placed money in donation boxes, while Rajesh Ranjan, known as Pappu Yadav, slipped money into his pockets to symbolise the theft. Yadav is an Independent MP from Bihar's Purnia constituency, while Awadhesh Prasad represents Faizabad (Ayodhya) in Uttar Pradesh.
Hindu groups expressed their anger over the skit by holding protests at several places. In Bhopal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists raised slogans against Rahul Gandhi and tried to march from Vyapam Square to Link Road, but police stopped them at barricades. Some activists tried to cross the barricades, leading to scuffles.
In Lucknow, members of the Sanatan Raksha Sangathan took out a symbolic funeral procession of Pappu Yadav, and the outfit's national president Anurodh Rai accused the opposition leaders of insulting Sanatan Dharma and demanded an apology. The Vishwa Hindu Raksha Parishad also held a demonstration against Yadav and demanded that he be booked under the National Security Act.
Seer Jagatguru Balak Das said, “No follower of Sanatan Dharma can forget this act. It has hurt our religious sentiments. So we have demanded that a case be registered.”
He also said the manner in which Pappu Yadav had insulted Lord Ram and Sanatan Dharma “in the House” was unforgivable.
An FIR was registered in Varanasi on Saturday against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Independent MP Pappu Yadav and Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad over a skit in the Parliament complex on the theft of Ram temple donations.
Varanasi Police said the case was registered at Kotwali police station on a complaint by seers who alleged that the three opposition leaders had insulted Sanatan Dharma. Gaurav Banswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kashi Zone, said the FIR was filed under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 196, 299, 302 and 3(5).
In Delhi, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj and party legislators also filed a police complaint, alleging that the protest hurt religious sentiments. Swaraj, the MP from New Delhi, submitted her complaint at Parliament Street police station along with BJP MLAs.
She said, “Yesterday, on the Parliament premises, under the guise of a protest, MPs Pappu Yadav ji, Awadhesh Prasad ji and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi ji staged a drama. This was not a protest. It was a mockery of Sanatan culture, a ridicule of the saint community, and a scornful insult to Indian traditions.”
She added, “In a democracy, the Constitution certainly gives you the right to protest, but it does not permit you to hurt the faith of any community.... that is why we have come to the police station today. We have submitted a complaint, sought the registration of an FIR, and requested an immediate investigation into the matter.”
The skit was staged on Friday in front of the Makar Dwar at the Parliament complex. Pappu Yadav, dressed in saffron, performed with other opposition MPs to protest the embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The MPs, including Gandhi, placed money in donation boxes, while Rajesh Ranjan, known as Pappu Yadav, slipped money into his pockets to symbolise the theft. Yadav is an Independent MP from Bihar's Purnia constituency, while Awadhesh Prasad represents Faizabad (Ayodhya) in Uttar Pradesh.
Hindu groups expressed their anger over the skit by holding protests at several places. In Bhopal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists raised slogans against Rahul Gandhi and tried to march from Vyapam Square to Link Road, but police stopped them at barricades. Some activists tried to cross the barricades, leading to scuffles.
In Lucknow, members of the Sanatan Raksha Sangathan took out a symbolic funeral procession of Pappu Yadav, and the outfit's national president Anurodh Rai accused the opposition leaders of insulting Sanatan Dharma and demanded an apology. The Vishwa Hindu Raksha Parishad also held a demonstration against Yadav and demanded that he be booked under the National Security Act.
Seer Jagatguru Balak Das said, “No follower of Sanatan Dharma can forget this act. It has hurt our religious sentiments. So we have demanded that a case be registered.”
He also said the manner in which Pappu Yadav had insulted Lord Ram and Sanatan Dharma “in the House” was unforgivable.
An FIR was registered in Varanasi on Saturday against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Independent MP Pappu Yadav and Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad over a skit in the Parliament complex on the theft of Ram temple donations.
Varanasi Police said the case was registered at Kotwali police station on a complaint by seers who alleged that the three opposition leaders had insulted Sanatan Dharma. Gaurav Banswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kashi Zone, said the FIR was filed under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 196, 299, 302 and 3(5).
In Delhi, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj and party legislators also filed a police complaint, alleging that the protest hurt religious sentiments. Swaraj, the MP from New Delhi, submitted her complaint at Parliament Street police station along with BJP MLAs.
She said, “Yesterday, on the Parliament premises, under the guise of a protest, MPs Pappu Yadav ji, Awadhesh Prasad ji and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi ji staged a drama. This was not a protest. It was a mockery of Sanatan culture, a ridicule of the saint community, and a scornful insult to Indian traditions.”
She added, “In a democracy, the Constitution certainly gives you the right to protest, but it does not permit you to hurt the faith of any community.... that is why we have come to the police station today. We have submitted a complaint, sought the registration of an FIR, and requested an immediate investigation into the matter.”
The skit was staged on Friday in front of the Makar Dwar at the Parliament complex. Pappu Yadav, dressed in saffron, performed with other opposition MPs to protest the embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The MPs, including Gandhi, placed money in donation boxes, while Rajesh Ranjan, known as Pappu Yadav, slipped money into his pockets to symbolise the theft. Yadav is an Independent MP from Bihar's Purnia constituency, while Awadhesh Prasad represents Faizabad (Ayodhya) in Uttar Pradesh.
Hindu groups expressed their anger over the skit by holding protests at several places. In Bhopal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists raised slogans against Rahul Gandhi and tried to march from Vyapam Square to Link Road, but police stopped them at barricades. Some activists tried to cross the barricades, leading to scuffles.
In Lucknow, members of the Sanatan Raksha Sangathan took out a symbolic funeral procession of Pappu Yadav, and the outfit's national president Anurodh Rai accused the opposition leaders of insulting Sanatan Dharma and demanded an apology. The Vishwa Hindu Raksha Parishad also held a demonstration against Yadav and demanded that he be booked under the National Security Act.
Seer Jagatguru Balak Das said, “No follower of Sanatan Dharma can forget this act. It has hurt our religious sentiments. So we have demanded that a case be registered.”
He also said the manner in which Pappu Yadav had insulted Lord Ram and Sanatan Dharma “in the House” was unforgivable.
