Veteran Cong leader Shivraj Patil finds ‘Jihad in Gita’. BJP-VHP Slams ‘Anti-Hindu Congress’.

“Krishna Also Talks Of Jihad To Arjun”: Row Over Ex-Union Minister Remarks… 

Congress veteran Shivraj Patil draws a link of ‘jihad’ in Quran and Gita.

The BJP-VHP hit out at the Congress over its ‘anti-Hindu’ attitude and accused it of playing vote bank politics.

Seema Singh | HENB | New Delhi | Oct 21, 2022:: Senior Congress leader Shivraj Patil on Thursday said that while there is a lot of discussion on ‘jihad’ (or religious war), the issue finds mention in the Quran as well as the Bhagwad Gita. He said that Lord Krishna taught lessons of ‘jihad’ to Arjun in a part of Gita in Mahabharat.

Shivraj Patil, a former home minister and LS speaker, was addressing the audience at the launch of Congress veteran and former Union minister Mohsina Kidwai’s biography -‘My Life in Indian Politics’ that was also attended by ‘brand secularist’ (i.e. Pro Islamist and anti-Hindutva) Congress leaders including MP Shashi Tharoor, Sushilkumar Shinde, Mani Shankar Aiyar and others.

A video of Patil’s speech was shared by news agency ANI. “There’s a lot of discussion on Jihad in Islam… Even after all efforts, if someone does not understand clean idea, power can be used, it is mentioned in Quran and Gita… Shri Krishna taught lessons of jihad to Arjun in a part of Gita in Mahabharat,” Patil said.

Also the former governor Patil further said that a similar message is conveyed in the books of Christianity too.

Condemning the remarks made by Shiraj Patil, The BJP hit out at the Congress over its ‘anti-Hindu’ attitude and accused it of playing vote bank politics.

Strongly reacted to the jihad remarks, BJP with its spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress of “Hindu hatred” and “opposing the existence of Lord Ram”.

Poonawalla tweeted, “After AAP’s Gopal Italia and Rajendra Pal, not to be outdone in Hindu hatred and votebank politics, Congress’ Shivraj Patil says Shri Krishna taught jihad to Arjun!”

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said that the statement of Patil replicates Congress’ “disgusting mindset” and their mind is filled with the pus of vote bank. “What Shivraj Patil said is a symbol of their party’s perverse and disgusting mindset. Bal Gangadhar Tilak saw Karma Yog Shastra in Gita and Mahatma Gandhi saw Anasakti. But the people of Rahul Gandhi’s Congress see Jihad in it. Their mind is filled with the pus of vote bank,” he said. “Party president Mallikarjun Kharge or Sonia Gandhi should answer that if what Shivraj Patil said is correct then is what Mahatma Gandhi said, wrong?” he added.

Of Late, Congress distanced itself from the ‘Gita jihad’ remark of veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Shivraj Patil and said the party does not condone his comments.

Taking to Twitter, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday shared an excerpt from Jawaharlal Nehru`s “Discovery of India” where the former PM talks about Geeta`s `universality`.

“My senior colleague Shivraj Patil reportedly made some comments on Bhagavad Gita that`s unacceptable. Subsequently, he clarified. @INCIndia`s stand is clear. Bhagavad Gita is a key foundational pillar of Indian civilisation. Here`s an excerpt from Nehru`s Discovery of India (p110),” Jairam Ramesh said.

Despite offering clarification that what he said actually meant just the opposite, still Patil is at the centre of controversy for suggesting that the Bhagavad Gita mentions jihad as Lord Krishna gave ‘jihad lessons’ to Arjun. The comment sparked a massive row with the BJP pillorying the Congress. Vishva Hindu Parishad leader Milind Parande said he does not know which Bhagavad Gita Shivraj Patil read.

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__Inputs from ANI and Times Now.