Former Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, who is at the centre of a controversy over his presence at a religious conversion event, appeared before the Delhi Police for questioning today.
He reached the Paharganj police station a little before 2.30 PM, hours after he was served a summons notice by the police, which called the questioning "a normal inquiry".
"He Rajendra Pal Gautam) has been called for an inquiry in connection with an event that took place in Ambedkar Bhavan and for which a complaint was received. It's a normal inquiry. Let's see what comes out of it," Shweta Chauhan, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, central district in Delhi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The former minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader was seen in a video clip taking an oath at the event on Saturday (October 8) in Delhi where thousands converted to Buddhism. "I shall have no faith in Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, nor shall I worship them," the oath said.
Mr Gautam's oath triggered a political row with the BJP terming his presence at the event "religiously divisive". In the middle of the Gujarat election campaign, the party also accused Arvind Kejriwal of being "anti-Hindu".
Mr Gautam resigned on Sunday, saying he did not want his party and chief Arvind Kejriwal to suffer on his account. He was seen receiving the summons handed to him by the police this morning. Yesterday, he had told reporters: "No notice has been received. The police came to question me this evening, I gave the information asked."
Defending himself against accusations of insulting Hindu gods, the AAP leader said the vow is a part of 22 pledges by BR Ambedkar that people take while converting to Buddhism. "These are repeated in these events organized every year since 1956," he said.
It was a "social and religious event" and nothing to do with politics, Mr Gautam said.
He also said he attended the event in "my personal capacity" and Arvind Kejriwal "did not even know" about it.
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