New Delhi:
Former Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, who is at the center of a controversy over his appearance at a religious conversion event, has been summoned by the Delhi Police for questioning today. He has been asked to appear for questioning at 2 pm today.
The former minister was heard taking oath on Saturday (October 8) at an event in Delhi where thousands of people converted to Buddhism. “I shall have no faith in Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, nor shall I worship them” was the word of his oath.
This fast is a part of 22 vows by Dr BR Ambedkar that people take while converting to Buddhism. In his defence, Gautam had earlier said, “These are repeated in these programs held every year since 1956.”
He was today seen signing the summons handed over to him by the police, a day after he was denied any notice for questioning. “No notice has been received. The police came to question me this evening, I have given the information sought,” he told reporters on Monday.
Rajendra Pal Gautam’s oath sparked a political controversy, with the BJP terming his presence at the event as “religiously divisive”. It also accused Arvind Kejriwal of being “anti-Hindu”.
However, he has said that it was a “social and religious event”. He said the people who converted to Buddhism were fulfilling 22 vows given by BR Ambedkar. “It is repeated in these events held every year since 1956,” he said.
The AAP leader resigned from the Delhi cabinet on Sunday.
He also said that the event had nothing to do with politics and that he attended it in “my personal capacity”. He also said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal “was not even aware of the incident” and was not coerced by him.
Mr Gautam, who was the minister for social welfare, SC and ST, registrar of cooperative societies and gurdwara elections, said he was resigning as the minister as he did not want his leader or AAP to be in trouble because of him.