Ghaziabad, Jan 28 (IANS): Following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s scathing comments on Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the Maha Kumbh, former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam has strongly rebuked the criticism, calling it an attack on both Amit Shah’s personal faith and the principles of Sanatan Dharma.
Talking to IANS, Acharya Pramod Krishnam stated, "Those who mock Sanatan are the same people questioning the sanctity of the Kumbh. The issue isn’t when or where Amit Shah took his dip, but the fact that he did so with profound faith and devotion. This is a deeply personal matter of faith, and no individual or party has the right to question anyone's beliefs."
Krishnam praised Amit Shah’s tenure as Home Minister, saying, "After Sardar Patel, Amit Shah is the first Home Minister to take bold decisions aimed at unifying the country. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Amit Shah has made historic decisions that have never been seen before. If Mallikarjun Kharge is questioning Amit Shah’s faith by mocking his participation in the Kumbh, it is an attack not only on him but on the core of our Sanatan beliefs."
He continued, "These individuals who aim to undermine Sanatan are the same ones who call our beliefs 'dirty' and belittle those who follow them. How can people like this ever understand the essence of the Maha Kumbh?"
On Monday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge took a vitriolic dig at Amit Shah over his Maha Kumbh visit, saying the Home Minister's "dip in Ganga won't remove poverty."
Launching a massive broadside against the BJP, the Congress chief said the leaders of the BJP were "competing with each other to take the dip in the Ganga river for the sake of cameras."
Kharge, however, clarified that he did not wish to hurt anyone's "aastha" (faith).
"Is poverty ended by taking a dip in the Ganga? Does it fill your stomach? I don't want to question anyone's 'aastha (faith)'. If anyone feels bad, I apologise. But tell me, when a child is dying of hunger, is not going to school, labourers are not getting their dues, at such a time, these people are spending thousands of rupees and competing for taking dips (in the Ganga)," Kharge said.