"Aren't We Hindus?": Ashok Gehlot Questions BJP

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has accused the BJP of linking the voting preference of people with Hinduism and asked whether those who don't vote for the party are not Hindus.

"You (BJP) come up with one issue or the other to provoke people in the name of religion, caste. All are Hindus. Aren't we Hindus? Where is it written that the one who votes for the BJP is a Hindu?" Mr Gehlot asked.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Haldighati Youth Festival at Nathdwara in Rajsamand district on Thursday, Mr Gehlot appealed to the youth to decide whether they want development or just issues that provoke people.

"In a democracy, some vote for the BJP, some don't. Some vote for the Congress, some don't," he said.

"Where did they get this definition that those who do not vote (for the BJP) are not Hindus? It is not in the interest of the country," Ashok Gehlot said.

Alleging that a BJP government will stop the schemes run by the current government in Rajasthan, Mr Gehlot said, "I would like to tell the youth, you decide whether you want development, whether you want a vision or (not)." He also told the youth that "knowledge is power".

He said Rajasthan today ranks first in the country in the IT sector.

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