What is Hinduism? Congress gives lessons

New Delhi: Move over temple runs, dips in the Sangam and pilgrimages to Kailash Mansarovar. The Congress’ “soft Hindutva” has taken an entirely different meaning now with the party having decided to teach voters the true meaning of Hinduism through a series of online videos.

A series called “Bhakt Charitra”, the first episode of which was released on social media platforms Monday, seeks to make people understand what Hindiusm teaches about “social welfare” and “inclusiveness”.

The video in Hindi goes on to quote the Upanishads to say that the Hindu religion teaches humanity and peace. This is followed by a short clip of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath making a “communally sensitive” speech at an election rally. The video ends at this, asking people “to think”.

Sources said one episode of “Bhakt Charitra” would be released on each day till the last day of campaigning for the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress has been trying not to cede the Hindu space to the BJP, which under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to build the “Hindu Pride” political narrative.

Starting with December 2017’s Gujarat Assembly polls, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has done what has been called “temple runs” during most state polls. He even went on pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar after a wish expressed in April 2018 after a mid-air accident was averted as he was flying to Karnataka to campaign for the Assembly polls.

The Congress has been generously releasing photographs of his temple visits and the Mansarovar yatra. In fact, the party’s communications department also tweeted photos of Mr Gandhi’s sacred thread ceremony to “prove” his Hindu lineage.

His sister, AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has also been particular about visiting important places of worship wherever she goes for campaigning.