‘BJP is resorting to lies, desperate to silence me’: Rahul Gandhi on row over his Sikh remarks

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of spreading lies about the remarks he had recently made in the United States and asked the Sikh community whether there was anything wrong in what he had said.

Gandhi, who is also the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, also asked whether India should be a country where everybody can freely practice their religion without fear.

“I want to ask every Sikh brother and sister in India and abroad - is there anything wrong in what I have said? Shouldn't India be a country where every Sikh - and every Indian - can freely practice their religion without fear?,” he said in a post on X.

The former Congress chief also shared a video clip of the statements he had made in the US. 

“As usual, the BJP is resorting to lies. They are desperate to silence me because they cannot stand the truth. But I will always speak up for the values that define India: our unity in diversity, equality, and love,” Gandhi further said.

READ: BJP asks Rahul Gandhi to withdraw his statement on Sikhs

The BJP had urged Gandhi to withdraw his statement, accusing him of creating an atmosphere of fear in the country. BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa told reporters on Friday that several Sikh and gurdwara management bodies had met Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai over the issue. 

Sisra asserted that the sacrifices of the Sikhs have made the country strong.

READ: Three FIRs filed in Chhattisgarh against Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in US on Sikhs

During his trip to the US, Gandhi had said that the ongoing ideological fight in India included ensuring freedom for different religions such as whether the Sikhs would be allowed to wear turban or go to gurdwaras.

Several Sikh bodies have condemned his statement and urged him to withdraw the remarks.