On January 28, 2016, Union Minister Piyush Goyal had said that he used to recite Kalma `La-ilaha-illallah-muhammadur-rasulullah` every day before his Puja. He confessed this in a conference on how education empowers and energises communities. A video of this seminar has gone viral recently. While Hindu organisations and hardliners have criticised him for this, many people have appreciated his secular stand though he is a prominent leader of a hardline Hindu party.
Chanting `La-ilaha-illallah-muhammadur-rasulullah` before Puja is not wrong. It is Piyush Goyal’s belief. At the same time, it needs guts to confess this publically particularly for a leader from the saffron party. This is a proof that there are secular and balanced leaders like Piyush Goyal in the BJP. During the seminar, businessman and the Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University Zafar Sareshwala was also present.
Chetan Rajhans, Sanatan Sanstha National spokesperson told Afternoon Voice, “Piyush Goyal’s video indicates that how much religious liberal and tolerant a common Hindu is who dares to recite Kalma at the time of Puja. I have never heard or seen Asaduddin Owaisi say Jai Shri Ram before or after namaz. Also, I have never heard Azam Khan chanting shlokas of Gita in Mathura.”
On the other hand, Ashok Pandey, National spokesperson of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha said, “I am not surprised at reciting Kalma by Piyush Goyal. I doubt that all BJP leaders chant Kalma, including PM Narendra and HM Amit shah. PM Modi does not have guts to visit Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya as he fears Muslims will be offended. BJP leaders pretend to be Pro-Hindu but Ram is in their mouth and Islam is beside them. The RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat said that Hinduism is not complete without Islam. All BJP leaders are following footprints of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. They are deceiving Hindus in the name of religion. They are doing politics in the name of Ram. It is good that their real face is exposed. I am not stunned by video of Piyush Goyal.”
Suresh Chavan, the owner of Sudarshan News Channel asserted, “Piyush Goyal, if Hindus of Kashmir and Pakistan had recited Kalma like you, their mothers and sisters would not have been raped before them and they had not lost their land and property. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was pressurising Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to recite Kalma but he denied. As a result of this, his body parts had been being cut into pieces for 39 days. Over 50 crore Hindus had lost their life in history so far for not chanting this very Kalma.”
After the 56 seconds-video went viral, social media went abuzz with comments against Piyush Goyal and the BJP. A lot of people also came in support of him. According to Twitter, Ritu (Satyasadhak) #EqualRightsToHindus @RituRathaur tweeted,” Hindus start their Puja with”Ganesh Vandana”. But @PiyushGoyal starts his with “la ilaha illallah muhammadur rasulullah” & we had hoped these people will help us bring in civilisational revolution. Will help this 10000-yr old culture survive from clutches of Christo Islamic forces?”
Hindus start their Puja with”Ganesh Vandana”
But @PiyushGoyal starts his with “la ilaha illallah muhammadur rasulullah”
& We had hoped these people will help us bring in civilizational revolution
Will help this 10000yr old culture survive from clutches of Christo Islamic forces https://t.co/guMyzZR3ss— Ritu (सत्यसाधक) #EqualRightsToHindus (@RituRathaur) July 22, 2019
Chitra Sundaram @SundaramChitra tweeted, “Will Owaisi chant Gayatri mantra before his prayers? Why are these worms having such low self respect?”
Will Owaisi chant Gayatri mantra before his prayers? Why are these worms having such low self respect?
— Chitra Sundaram 🇮🇳 (@SundaramChitra) July 22, 2019
Advaita @AdiShankaraa tweeted, “Appeasement at its zenith. Disgusting to the core! Here’s a video that unmasks the sabka vishwaas govt & its dhimmi leaders.”
Appeasement at its zenith. Disgusting to the core! Here’s a video that unmasks the sabka vishwaas govt & its dhimmi leaders.#WakeUpHindu https://t.co/9YXm7cwUPu
— Advaita (@AdiShankaraa) July 22, 2019
#WakeUpHinduIntegratedIndian @Soldiers_Son tweeted, “Never heard of any Muslim prayer starting with Gayatri mantra. BJP is going one step ahead of Congress in appeasing Muslims. What are they going to get by doing such antics? Muslims still won’t vote for them and they will only anger Hindus with this. So upsetting.”
Never heard of any muslim prayer starting with Gayatri mantra.
BJP is going one step ahead of Congress in appeasing muslims.
What are they going to get by doing such antics? Muslims still won’t vote for them and they will only anger hindus with this.
So upsetting https://t.co/xWWFEKdnDn
— IntegratedIndian (@Soldiers_Son) July 22, 2019
Esha Agerwala @Deveshvari tweeted, “Satyanaash… Sorry to say… ! Hindus need to find a new leader.”
Satyanaash… Sorry to say… !😱😡
Hindus need to find a new leader… 😤😠😡— Esha Agerwala (@Deveshvari) July 22, 2019
Biraja Nath @birajanath tweeted, “IF BJP continues with such appeasement, then sooner BJP will be rejected by people…. Cong took 60 years to become Muslim party, but BJP would become in 10 years time…”
IF BJP continues with such appeasement, then sooner BJP will be rejected by people…. cong took 60 years to become muslim party, but bjp would become in 10 years time…
— Biraja Nath (@birajanath) July 22, 2019
Sankrant Sanu @sankrant tweeted, “Madness. Does @PiyushGoyal know what he is saying? It means he has converted to Islam, proclaiming that there is no god but Allah and Mohammad is His prophet. He might as well piss on the “idols of Hindus” after that.”
Madness. Does @PiyushGoyal know what he is saying?
It means he has converted to Islam, proclaiming that there is no god but Allah and Mohammad is His prophet. He might as well piss on the “idols of Hindus” after that. https://t.co/VKFMN7jmeS
— Sankrant Sanu सानु (@sankrant) July 22, 2019
P V Natarajan @pvnatarajan tweeted, “BJP can never be trusted by Hindus. They also never claim themselves as a Hindu party. It’s becoming worse than Congress.”
BJP can never be trusted by Hindus. They also never claim themselves as a Hindu party. It’s becoming worse than Congress.
— P V Natarajan (@pvnatarajan) July 22, 2019
Ram Gopal @ramgopaldass_77 tweeted,“Compare and contrast this action with that of ex-UPA Rail minister E. Ahmed who refused to light a kuthuvilakku (Lamp), at a national seminar saying it was an “unIslamic action”….Even Congress men in that meeting were taken aback by the actions of that Minister…”
Compare and contrast this action with that of ex-UPA Rail mantri E. Ahmed who refused to light a kuthuvilakku (Lamp), at a national seminar saying it was an “unIslamic action”….Even Congis in that mtg were taken aback by the actions of that Minister…https://t.co/EgbEHjnV73
— Ram Gopal (@ramgopaldass_77) July 22, 2019
Mohan Reddy @ReddyMohan tweeted, “It is clear now no politician, not even BJP will defend Hindus. We have to defend ourselves. Be ready for that.”
It is clear now no politician, not even BJP will defend Hindus. We have to defend ourselves. Be ready for that https://t.co/H53k4u4Q9e
— Mohan Reddy (@ReddyMohan) July 22, 2019
Amit Sharma @Sharmaroyals tweeted, “Shameless minister who took oath of secular constitution doing appeasement in open. This is not the party we voted for.”
