Don't read political meaning in Rahul's temple visits: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Wednesday said one must not read political meaning into party Vice President Rahul Gandhi's visit to temples in Gujarat, as all are entitled to practice their own faith.

Asked if it was a conscious choice on Gandhi's part to visit temples in Gujarat, Chidambaram said: "I think you are reading both wrongly. We have always held that while each one is entitled to practice his own faith, we treat all faiths equally."

"That is the position of the party. If on a visit to a constituency or to a state, the local leadership and the local people suggests he must visit a temple or he must visit a mosque or a church, it is natural to oblige. Every elected politician does that all the time.

"When I go to a village (in my constituency) populated by people of one religion, they ask you to visit that shrine or mosque and you do it as a matter of courtesy. I don't think you should read political meaning into that. There is much else that is happening in his visit to Gujarat. I think we should focus on that," he said.

On a question whether the Congress has now got the much-needed momentum after Rahul Gandhi's visit abroad, Chidambaram said: "We have always been the opposition that India needed against the government that is trying to impose its will on the people."

--IANS

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