Don’t need certificate of being religious from anyone: Congress Lok Sabha pick JP Agarwal hits out at BJP

Agarwal, a prominent figure in Delhi politics, began his career as a councillor in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and has served in various capacities in the Congress. Elected to the Parliament five times, he has represented the Northeast seat and has also been a member of the Rajya Sabha. In this election, he will face off against BJP candidate Praveen Khandelwal.

Highlighting his connection to religious practices, he said: “Ram Navami is a very important festival for me… Since childhood, my parents have been teaching me about religion… I used to hold their hands and visit this temple and the Hanuman Mandir, Shani temple, Markat wale Hanuman Ji, Nayi Dilli wale Hanuman Ji, Kalkaji Temple… So, that emotion is present in my heart and I have carried it my whole life.”

He also emphasised the role played by the Congress in opening the Gauri Shankar temple and asserted that his religious credentials do not require validation from others. “… We were the ones who opened the locks of this temple… (and) inaugurated (it)… the BJP tends to forget these facts but time is almighty and will remind them of (it)… we do not need a certificate of being religious from anyone,” Agarwal said.

Asked about the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, he said: “If anything is done with a religious intent, then it is pious… the one who stands with the poor in hard times, who helps them get access to proper food, clothing and jobs is the one who will receive blessings…”

“I would have believed that the BJP would win (the election) if they had reduced inflation, hunger… if they had reduced joblessness, then our factories in different industrial areas would have also flourished. But that is not the case — wherever I look, I see that people are unhappy,” the leader said.

He added, “During the Covid pandemic, people walked hundreds of kilometres on foot… bodies lay rotting on the roads for days but there was no one to look after them. Did we see a single leader tear up due to this? Governance does not mean being forceful, one needs to govern with compassion in their heart and this is what religion also teaches us, this is why I think that Lord Ram will give his blessings to the INDIA bloc.”

Meanwhile, Delhi Congress Chief Arvinder Singh Lovely held a meeting with the senior leadership to draw up a roadmap for the election campaign. Duties were assigned to party workers to ensure not only the victory of the three Congress candidates in Delhi but those of the alliance partners as well. “Congress and INDIA candidates are standing on very strong wickets and are sure to sweep all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi,” he said.