'Stop Going to Places Where You Are Insulted, Killed': AAP MLA Gautam Asks Dalits to Avoid Temples

If going to temples leads to our people being murdered, if touching idols leads to our people being killed, then we should stop going to such places, AAP MLA and former minister Rajendra Pal Gautam said at an event of the Scheduled Caste community organised by the Guru Ravidas Manav Kalyan Samiti in Haryana’s Sonepat.

“Aap aise cheezon mein bharosa mat karo jo cheezein aap ko nuksan pahuchati ho. Ek baat batayiye, agar kahin mandir mein jaane se, humare logon ki hatya hoti ho, agar murthi chhu lene se humare logon ki hatya ho gayi ho, toh aap aisi jagahon par kyon jaate ho jahan aap ka apmaan ho? (Don’t place your faith in anything that harms you. If visiting a temple in a particular place leads to our people being killed, if touching an idol leads to the killing of our youth, then why do you go to such places where you are insulted),” said Gautam.

Broadly referring to incidents of untouchability, discrimination and atrocities against Dalits at temples, the former minister advised members of his community to distance themselves from such places. The speech was live on the former minister’s Facebook page on the evening of December 5.

The next morning, Gautam was present at the AAP headquarters where party supremo Arvind Kejriwal paid tributes to Dr BR Ambedkar on the Dalit icon’s death anniversary, but the MLA did not speak. AAP’s Karol Bagh MLA Vishesh Ravi, SC/ST wing in-charge Vishesh Ravi and minister Raaj Kumar Anand, who incidentally had replaced Gautam in the cabinet in 2022, were the other speakers apart from party boss Kejriwal. However, later the same day, Gautam spoke at another meeting in Harpur.

The former minister was articulating the widely held belief among Dalit leaders, beginning with Dr Ambedkar who rejected Hindusim, opposed the caste system and converted to Buddhism with thousands of his followers. Speaking to News18, the Seemapuri MLA said: “It was not my intention nor have I insulted any religion or any group… it is my moral, social and political responsibility to awaken my people. This is the direction for all educated bahujans as well as political bahujans to go to their people and make them aware about the superstition and orthodoxy in society that is causing loss in the community. It our duty to make them aware that their children should stay away from all kind of nashaa, bure karm, aparadh (addiction, bad deeds and crime). Aur kalam ko hi apna takat banale (They should make the mighty pen their strength).”

Explaining his statements made in Sonepat, the staunch Ambedkarite said: “I was explaining that if you are insulted, you should not go to such places. In Pratapgarh (Uttar Pradesh), a young child touched a murthi (idol) and he was beaten to death. Jitendar Meghwal was killed because he kept a moustache. In some ashram, mutt, mandir, our sisters were raped and we got to know this from newspapers. Therefore, you should not go to any place where we have not been allowed, or when we enter, they beat us or kill us.”

“So many muttadis have been convicted by court and are in jail. Our President, Draupadi Murmu, had gone to Jagganath Puri temple in Hauz Khas, and she was not allowed. Dharmedra Pradhan and Ashwini Vaishnaw were allowed. So, I say do puja in your house, pray to Ambedkar and Ravidass,” he added.

Hitting back at Gautam and AAP, BJP MLA Vijendra Gupta, sharing the video of the speech on X (formerly Twitter) said: “The divisive agenda of the AAP continues as its MLA and former minister Rajendra Pal Gautam espouses anti-Hindu hate.”

Gautam, however, stuck to his guns. “I would like to tell the senior leadership of the BJP that they should counsel their Delhi leaders to look for issues apart from dharm ki rajaeeti (politics of religion), because they don’t have any work to be proud of. Inke nata charon taraf bhadkau bhashan deten hain , (their leaders give provocative speeches everywhere), which will spark riots. They may win an election, but it is not good for the country,” he said.

Rajendra Pal Gautam was nudged by the AAP leadership to resign in October 2022 following a similar controversy. After AAP’s spectacular win in Punjab, the party was in the throes of a high decibel campaign in Gujarat when Gautam’s video participating in a disksha ceremony, administering the “22 vows” to people very much as Dr Amebdkar had once done, surfaced and put the party on the backfoot.

An activist of the Samata Sainik Dal, and a lawyer by profession, Gautam is unflinching in his beliefs. “I will continue my work of awakening people and walking on the path of Ambedkar. If it means I have to sacrifice my political career, I am ready. And BJP should accept that it is against Babasaheb Ambedkar, Gautama Buddha and their teachings.”