Indore, Oct 1 (PTI) Amid a row over his gaumutra “sip” remarks, BJP functionary Chintu Verma on Tuesday dubbed them a personal view, saying he never meant to stop anybody from visiting garba pandals through any pre-condition.
A controversy erupted after Verma, who heads the Indore BJP district unit, had requested organisers to make people do “aachman” or sip cow urine before letting them in garba pandals during the Navratri festival, arguing that a Hindu can never refuse this ritual.
The opposition Congress had targeted the BJP over Verma’s remarks, terming them as a new ploy for playing polarisation politics.
“I had expressed my personal views with great sanctity, but many people and Congress turned them into a controversy, which shouldn’t have happened,” Verma told reporters.
Verma had said while the Aadhaar card can be “edited”, a Hindu person will never refuse to do the cow urine aachaman ritual before entering garba pandals.
On Tuesday, Verma said his personal views didn’t mean that there should be a mandatory system of aachaman at garba pandals or that a person should be barred from entering these pandals on this basis.
“Everyone is entitled to his/her religious beliefs. India is a country where all religions are equally respected,” Verma added.
According to Hindu customs, aachaman means taking a sip of water while reciting mantras for purification before starting religious rituals.
Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition in the Madhya Pradesh assembly Umang Singhar alleged in Bhopal that BJP workers are becoming mentally deranged. PTI HWP ADU NSK
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