Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam resigns after controversy over religious conversion event

Delhi Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, who was in the eye of a storm over his presence at a meeting of Dalits who were converting to Buddhism where Hindu deities were allegedly denounced, resigned from Arvind Kejriwal Ministry.

Resigning from the Ministry, Gautam showered praise on Kejriwal and said he would not want anything to go against his leader or AAP but made it clear that he has not done anything wrong and was merely repeating "22 vows" of B R Ambedkar, which Dalits across the country do every year. He claimed the BJP has objection to Ambekar’s vows.

The BJP had attacked AAP after a video went viral showing Gautam attending the October 5 event where hundreds took a pledge to convert to Buddhism and not consider Hindu deities as gods.

The resignation came days after Kejriwal expressed displeasure over Gautam's presence at the meeting, which was read as a hint for the Social Justice Minister to quit, following concerns that it could have an impact on AAP's prospects in poll-bound Gujarat where the BJP has ratcheted up the issue.

While four ministers had resigned mid-way during Kejriwal's second stint as Chief Minister between 2015 and 2020, Gautam's is the first in the third stint starting 2022.

Interestingly, Kejriwal has resisted demands for resignation of Minister Satyender Jain, who was arrested by the ED in a money laundering case, and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who has been named by the CBI in an FIR on irregularities in the Delhi excise policy.

However, Gautam appeared not to have this luxury as elections in Gujarat are just months away and Kejriwal and AAP is already under attack on this issue with the BJP calling them anti-Hindu.

In a two-page letter, he explained his side and said that he attended the 'Buddha Diksha Samaroh' organised by the Mission Jai Bhim and Buddhist Society of India at Ambedkar Bhavan as a Dalit community member and not as a minister or member of AAP.

"Ambedkar's great grandson Raj Ratna Ambedkar has read out the 22 vows of Ambedkar, which was repeated by over 10,000 people gathered there including me. After that, I am seeing that the BJP is targeting my leader Kejriwal and AAP and it saddens me," he said.

Gautam, a lawyer-turned-politician who joined AAP in 2014 and won from Seemapuri in 2015 and 2020 polls, said the 22 vows which were spoken at the event were part of the Volume 17 of Ambedkar's writings and printed by the government.

"These pledges are reaffirmed by crores of people in thousands of localities every year. The BJP has objections to Ambedkar's vows. They are into dirty politics. I am hurt by this and I resign as Minister," Gautam said.

He said it is saddening that the BJP is targeting Kejriwal, who has given him "a lot of respect" for which he will "always be grateful", and the AAP. He said he sincerely appreciates the steps taken by the government.

"I do not want my leader Shri Arvind Kejriwal or the party to be in any trouble because of me. I am a true soldier of the party and I will follow the ideals shown by Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Gautam Buddha throughout my entire life," he said.

"Today is Valmiki Jayanti as well as the death anniversary of Kanshi Ram. On such a day, I have been freed from many shackles, and been born again. Now I will continue to fight for the rights and against the atrocities on the society more firmly without any restrictions," he tweeted.