Rahul must visit Kumbh, should also light candle at his grandfather's tomb: UP Deputy CM

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Thursday extended an invitation to Congress President Rahul Gandhi to visit the Kumbh fair to participate in a "cow donation ritual" on the basis of his claim of belonging to the Dattatreya Gotra, and also light a candle at the tomb of his grandfather Feroze Gandhi, a Parsi.

Addressing a press conference, Sharma said, "I want to invite Rahul Gandhi, who probably has Dattatreya Gotra, to come to Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh. Kumbh has a solemn ceremony in which the priest helps you in doing the sacred cow donation ritual in the name of your forefathers. I invite Rahul Gandhi for the same. I also request him to visit the tomb of his respected deceased grandfather Feroze Jehangir Khan Gandhi."

Stressing on the significance of visiting Feroze Gandhi's grave, Sharma added, "Rahul Gandhi hasn't been there yet, hence I urge him that he should visit the Kumbh for purpose of worship on the basis of Dattatreya Gotra, but he must also pay obeisance at the grave of his grandfather. I advise him to worship during the Kumbh but he should also light a candle at the grave of his grandfather."

In November 2018, the Congress president while visiting the famous Brahma temple in Pushkar had offered 'puja' and also revealed his 'gotra' as Kashmiri Kaul Brahmin, the priest of the temple had said.

The priest had then said that, "Rahul Gandhi came to the temple to perform 'puja.' Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vijaylakhsmi Pandit, Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, Maneka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are all Kashmiri Pandits."

A similar trivia about Rahul Gandhi had surfaced ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections in the wake of his frequent temple visits in the state, when he revealed that he is not only a Hindu but a 'Janeu Dhari Hindu,' one who wears a sacred thread.