Hegde taunts Rahul

Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde has made yet another controversial remark by asking AICC president Rahul Gandhi to visit the Jain pilgrimage centre of Shravanabelagola with an “appropriate dress code”.

At a BJP election rally in Khanapur taluk of Belagavi district on Sunday, he began by accusing Mr. Gandhi of enacting an elaborate drama before the people of Karnataka ahead of the elections. “He is wearing different costumes for various occasions,” he said.

“After all these years, Rahul has remembered there is something called Hinduism in this country. That is why he is running to temples. But then, he is not sincere. He is just staging a drama about going to temples ... He has no idea how to have teertha (holy water) given to devotees in temples, but he dresses up appropriately for visits to various religious places,” the Minister said.

“Just because someone advised him, he wore a saffron shawl to temples. He also wore a cap while visiting mosques, and a cross when he went to a church. I request him to go to the Jain pilgrimage centre of Shravanabelagola too. He should be dressed appropriately while going there,” Mr. Hegde said. He then asked the crowd, “Did you understand what I meant?”