Unacceptable: Congress distances itself from Shivraj Patil's remark on Gita

New Delhi, October 21

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Friday said former Home Minister and party leader Shivraj Patil’s remarks on the Bhagavad Gita were unacceptable.

Patil, while speaking at the launch of a book on veteran Mohsina Kidwai yesterday, claimed the concept of jihad was mentioned not just in Islam, but also in the Bhagavad Gita and Christianity.

Concept of Jihad not just in Islam

There is a lot of discussion on jihad. It is not just in Quran, but in Mahabharata also, the part in Gita… and this thing is also in Christianity. Shivraj Patil, Cong leader

Kharge must respond

Another attempt to smear Hindutva. Congress chief Kharge or Sonia must respond to comments. Sudhanshu Trivedi, BJP

Cong stand clear

My senior colleague reportedly made some comment that’s unacceptable. The Congress’ stand is clear. Jairam Ramesh, Cong

“My senior colleague Shivraj Patil reportedly made some comment on the Bhagavad Gita that’s unacceptable, although he clarified subsequently. The Congress’ stand is clear. The Bhagavad Gita is a key foundational pillar of Indian civilisation,” Ramesh tweeted.

He posted excerpts from Jawaharlal Nehru’s book “The Discovery of India”, where the late PM writes, “The message of the Gita is not sectarian or addressed to any particular school of thought. It is universal in its approach for everyone, Brahmin or outcaste. ‘All paths lead to me’, it says. It is because of this universality that it has found favour with all classes and schools.”

Patil yesterday said there was a lot of discussion of jihad in context of Islam, and added, “It (reference to jihad) is not just in Quran, but in Mahabharata also, the part in Gita, Lord Krishna also talks of jihad to Arjun and this thing is also in Christianity.”

Patil also said if after explaining everything, people were not understanding, they were coming out with weapons, “then you can’t run, you can’t call that jihad and you can’t call it wrong, this is what must be understood, there should not be this concept of making people understand with weapons in hand”.

The BJP, meanwhile, stepped up its attack on the Congress over Patil’s remarks, saying this “is one more attempt to smear Hindutva by the Opposition party.

BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi demanded that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge or its leader Sonia Gandhi should respond to Patil’s comments. He accused the Congress of playing vote bank politics.