Police at the spot where BJP and “Hindu Parishad” supporters held anti-AAP protest in Vadodara, Gujarat.

Vadodara:

Protesting against alleged “anti-Hindu” statements by an Aam Aadmi Party minister in Delhi, supporters of the ruling BJP in Gujarat’s Vadodara today tore the AAP’s banners ahead of a scheduled rally by party boss Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. 

Police later detained some of the protesters to try and calm the situation, but the AAP rally was yet to begin even an hour after the scheduled 4pm on a rainy day.

The AAP plan was to hold a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ (march with the national flag) led by Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal as part of its ongoing poll campaign in PM Narendra Modi’s home state, where elections are due in December. 

Senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak tweeted: “This hooliganism shows the BJP’s fear of defeat in Gujarat.”

ये गुंडागर्दी गुजरात में भाजपा की हार की बौखलाहट दर्शा रही है।#GujaratWithAAPpic.twitter.com/wBfyqVaP8S

— Durgesh Pathak (@ipathak25) October 8, 2022

The protesters pointed towards Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam’s oath at a mass conversion event to Buddhism in Delhi, where he was among thousands who recited BR Ambedkar’s 22 vows that include denouncing Hindu Gods and Brahminical traditions.

While the AAP has maintained silence — except party sources saying Mr Kejriwal is “extremely upset” with his minister — Mr Gautam has refused to back down. He has cited freedom of religion and said he only repeated vows taken by the legendary Dalit leader, who converted to Buddhism at such an event in 1956. The vows include a pledge for equality and no faith in incarnations of God.

The protesters in Vadodara today — some of who said they are “ordinary, proud Hindus” and “not with the BJP” — cited that the Delhi event as an affront to Hinduism. 

“That AAP minister (Rajendra Pal Gautam) made thousands of Hindus change their religion,” a woman who tore AAP posters alleged.

The event was held by Jai Bheem Mission, an NGO founded by Mr Gautam, where nearly 7,000 people, mostly Dalits, embraced Buddhism. It was attended by a great-grandnephew of BR Ambedkar, Rajratna Ambedkar.

BJP has filed police police complaints and shared the event’s video on Twitter, accusing the AAP minister of “spewing venom against Hindus”.