BJP leader wants Rahul Gandhi to apologize for visiting pastor

Coimbatore, Sept 12: BJP Mahila Morcha president Vanathi Srinivasan on Monday demanded an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent meeting with a pastor in Kanyakumari, which sparked a controversy.

Srinivasan alleged the pastor was "anti-Hindu, anti-national". "Rahul Gandhi owes an explanation to the people of the nation, whether he subscribed to the view of George Ponnaiah on Hindus and Bharat Mata.

Gandhi should also reveal what transpired between the pastor and him, and the topic of their discussion, she said in a statement here. The Congress MP from Wayanad in Kerala had no time to visit Hindu places of worship in the State, but made it a point to meet Ponnaiah, she said.

Earlier, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, while sharing the video of Gandhi with a priest, had said, "George Ponnaiah who met Rahul Gandhi says 'Jesus is the only God unlike Shakti (& other Gods)."

AICC general secretary-communications Jairam Ramesh had hit back, saying BJP's "hate factory" is sharing tweets about Gandhi which has no relation to the audio. Gandhi launched his 3,570-km 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanyakumari on September 7. He had during the course of the march by foot met the pastor and the others.