New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain on Monday launched a sharp attack on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that the former Delhi Chief Minister has lost political credibility and only turns to religious issues when elections approach. Reacting to the ongoing political exchanges over religion and the recitation of the Sundarkand, Hussain accused Kejriwal and the AAP of exploiting matters of faith for electoral gains. Speaking to IANS, Hussain said, “There is nothing left for Arvind Kejriwal in politics. His credibility has fallen to zero. When he was in power in Delhi, he and his party worked to loot the city. The ‘Sheesh Mahal’ leader is now in power in Punjab, where even their Chief Minister is facing allegations of insulting religious scriptures. They have no real concern for religion. Whenever elections approach, they suddenly start engaging in religious rituals and worship…”

The BJP leader’s remarks come amid an intensifying political war of words between the BJP and the AAP over issues related to religion and public expressions of faith.Meanwhile, Ayodhya saint Vishnu Das Maharaj also criticised Kejriwal and several Opposition leaders, accusing them of politicising matters connected with religion and the Ram Temple. Speaking in Ayodhya, Vishnu Das Maharaj said, “Akhilesh Yadav has never stood with the Ram Mandir; he has stood with the Babri Masjid. In my view, he admired Babur rather than Lord Ram. He also met Mamata Banerjee and other leaders who, according to me, share similar views. Those who admired Babur and Aurangzeb are now claiming to have faith in Lord Ram. If Arvind Kejriwal and others continue to engage in what I consider dirty politics, then I believe people like them should not be allowed to enter Ayodhya. I believe they should be driven away because Ayodhya is a centre of faith, while they are doing politics over it. Whether it is Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, or others, I believe they are politicising matters related to faith.”

The reactions came after Kejriwal escalated the AAP’s political attack on the BJP on Sunday, claiming that those opposing the recitation of the Sundarkand have “demonic tendencies”. In a post on social media, Kejriwal wrote, “Lord Rama had said - ‘In Kaliyuga, people with demonic tendencies will oppose the recitation of the Sundarakanda’.”  The AAP chief made the remark while responding to the Delhi BJP’s criticism of the religious event, further intensifying the political confrontation between the two parties over issues of faith ahead of upcoming electoral contests.

--IANS