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'Abhaya Mudra In Islam' And Other Gems From Rahul Gandhi's First Speech As Leader Of Opposition In Lok Sabha
Nishtha Anushree
Jul 01, 2024, 03:56 PM | Updated 06:37 PM IST
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Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday (1 June) linked the abhay-mudra seen in the images of Hindu gods and goddesses to the election symbol of his party while speaking in Lok Sabha.
Gandhi explained that abhay-mudra not only asks to not be scared and follow non-violence, but it also suggests to not make others scared. He said that all religions talk about courage.
"Islam also says darna nahin hai (don't be scared). When prayers are done in Islam, abhay-mudra is seen in both hands," Gandhi said.
He then showed a picture of Guru Nanak Dev, the first Guru of Sikhism and said that it also shows abhay-mudra and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacks this religion every day.
This is ironic because Congress is known to have perpetrated the 1984 anti-Sikh riots after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi then said that Jesus Christ, Lord Buddha and Lord Mahaveer also show abhay-mudra suggesting that neither be scared, nor create fear in anyone.
Another controversial remark by Gandhi was on Agniveers where he alleged that an Agniveer lost his life in a landmine blast but he is not called a 'martyr' and will not receive any compensation.
This was refuted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who said that financial assistance of Rs 1 crore is given to the family of the Agniveer who sacrifices his life while protecting our borders or during war.
On the irregularities in the medical entrance NEET exam, Gandhi said, "The truth is that NEET students today do not believe in the exam because they are convinced that the exam is designed for rich people, not meritorious people."
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Nishtha Anushree is Senior Sub-editor at Swarajya. She tweets at @nishthaanushree.
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