A small question asked by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu while talking to children has now become a big political issue. In a video that is becoming increasingly viral on social media, the Bharatiya Janata Party has expressed strong opposition to the Chief Minister’s reaction and has made it an issue and attacked the Congress government.
The incident took place when Chief Minister Sukhu had come to meet some children during a program. During the meeting, the children greeted him enthusiastically by calling him ‘Radhe-Radhe’. On this the Chief Minister smiled and asked, ‘Radhe-Radhe or Namaskar?’ When the children say ‘Radhe-Radhe’ again, Sukhu again asks – ‘Why are you saying Radhe-Radhe?’
As soon as the video surfaced, BJP made it an issue and alleged that the Chief Minister felt uncomfortable hearing ‘Radhe-Radhe’, which reflected his “anti-Sanatan attitude”. The party said that “This stance of the government of imposing tax on faith in temples is not hidden from anyone and the public will respond to it in the coming time.” BJP, while sharing the video on its official X handle, raised the question as to why Congress and its leaders have so much problem with religious greetings.
In the same sequence, BJP spokesperson Pratyush Kanth also targeted the Chief Minister while sharing the video. He wrote that, “Uncomfortable with the children saying ‘Radhe-Radhe’, the Chief Minister asks them to say ‘Namaste’. This is the real face of Congress, which the public understands very well.” His statement deepened the controversy.
No detailed official statement has been issued by the Congress on the incident, but some party leaders have called it an unnecessary controversy and said that the Chief Minister’s point is being deliberately distorted. He says that Sukhu had talked to the children only as a matter of spontaneous behaviour, which is being misinterpreted.
