A major controversy has arisen in Rajasthan ahead of the Assembly election over the remarks of a BJP leader on the religious places of two minority communities at a rally attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Tijara. BJP leader Sandeep Dayma’s apology has failed to satisfy the Sikh community leaders.
Mr. Dayma, who was the BJP candidate from Tijara in the 2018 Assembly election, said at a public meeting in the town on November 1 that Gurdwaras in the region had become “open sores”, which should be uprooted. He said the Alwar MP Baba Balak Nath, contesting the polls on BJP ticket in Tijara, would complete the task.
“A large number of Gurdwaras have come up recently in the Tijara region. They are going to become a big problem in future… So it is our religious responsibility to uproot these open sores from here,” Mr. Dayma said while seeking votes for Mr. Balak Nath. The BJP, if elected to power, would take care of such issues, he said in the presence of Mr. Adityanath.
