'Unacceptable': Congress distances itself from Shivraj Patil's statement on 'Gita, Quran and Jihad'

The former Lok Sabha Speaker and Union Minister Shivraj Patil on Thursday said that 'Lord Krishna taught jihad to Arjun and the concept of jihad is not just in Islam but also in Bhagavad Gita and in Christianity'.

New Delhi: The Congress party on Friday disassociated itself from the political row sparked by former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's remarks and called it "unacceptable". The veteran Congress leader said that "the concept of `jihad` finds mention not only in the Quran but in the Bhagwad Gita and in Christianity as well". Addressing the audience at a book launch event of Congress leader and former Union Minister Mohsina Kidwai on Thursday, the former Lok Sabha Speaker and Union Minister Patil stated "Lord Krishna taught jihad to Arjun and the concept of jihad is not just in Islam but also in Bhagavad Gita and in Christianity." Taking to Twitter, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday shared an excerpt from Jawaharlal Nehru`s "Discovery of India" where the former PM talks about Geeta`s `universality`. 

"My senior colleague Shivraj Patil reportedly made some comments on Bhagavad Gita that`s unacceptable. Subsequently, he clarified. @INCIndia`s stand is clear. Bhagavad Gita is a key foundational pillar of Indian civilisation. Here`s an excerpt from Nehru`s Discovery of India(p110)," Jairam Ramesh said. 

In another tweet, the Congress leader said, "Incidentally, I learned Bhagavad Gita in my early teens and have had a life-long fascination with it as a cultural and philosophical text, with a profound influence on Indian society over the ages. I wrote about this in my book The Light of Asia: The Poem that defined the Buddha."

Incidentally, I learned Bhagavad Gita in my early teens and have had a life-long fascination with it as a cultural & philosophical text, with a profound influence on Indian society over the ages. I wrote about this in my book The Light of Asia: The Poem that defined the Buddha. https://t.co/dLV7964JPQ

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 21, 2022

“The concept comes to the fore when despite having the right intentions and doing the right thing, nobody understands or reciprocates, then it is said one can use force,” he said. "It is not just in Quran, but in Mahabharata also, the part in Gita, Shri Krishna also talks of jihad to Arjun and this thing is not just in Quran or Gita but also in Christianity," Patil claimed in his remarks in Hindi.

"If after explaining everything, people are not understanding, they are coming with weapons then you cannot run, you cannot call that jihad and you cannot call it wrong, this is what must be understood, there should not be this concept of making people understand with weapons in hand," the 87-year-old leader said.

Patil`s remarks have drawn flak from the BJP which has hit out at the Congress for 'Hindu hatred' and 'vote-bank politics.' Patil who was Union Home Minister from 2004 to 2008 and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996 was addressing the audience at a book launch of Congress leader and former Union Minister Mohsina Kidwai.