The in-charge of Uttarakhand’s Jyotir Math, Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, has come out in defense of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent speech in the Lok Sabha. He asserted that Hinduism does not promote fear, hatred, or falsehoods, contradicting the perception that Gandhi’s remarks were anti-Hindu. In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), Saraswati stated, “When I heard that Rahul Gandhi had made anti-Hindu remarks, I saw his entire video and found out that he has not said anything wrong. Rahul Gandhi is absolutely right when he said that there is no place for violence in the Hindu religion.” He went on to criticize the selective editing of speeches to spread misinformation, calling it a crime that should be punished, irrespective of the source. Saraswati clarified that Gandhi’s statement was directed towards the ruling party, not Hinduism. “Later, Gandhi clarified that his statement was directed at the party led by the Centre, alleging that they are promoting violence under the guise of religion,” Saraswati added. Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, made on July 2 during a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in Parliament, sparked controversy. He had said, “It is not just one religion that talks about courage. In fact, all our religions talk about courage… Shivji says daro mat, darao mat, shows the abhay mudra (the right hand held upright with the palm facing outwards), talks about ahimsa,” while addressing the BJP MPs. He further asserted that the BJP and the ruling party do not represent the entirety of Hinduism. Gandhi’s criticism of the BJP, suggesting it does not speak for all Hindus, ignited strong reactions from members of the ruling party. In response, Gandhi reiterated that his remarks were specifically aimed at the BJP and not at Hinduism as a whole. He emphasized that the BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or Prime Minister Modi do not represent the entire Hindu community.
