Video Sparks Political Firestorm Over Religious Sentiments
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, July 6, 2026, after a video surfaced allegedly showing a person dressed as Lord Hanuman dancing ahead of BJP national president Nitin Nabin's cavalcade in Lucknow. AAP leaders accused the BJP of deliberately insulting Hindu religious sentiments for political gain.
Kejriwal Condemns BJP's Actions
Sharing the video on X, AAP national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the BJP had caused unprecedented harm to Hinduism. He wrote, "The kind of damage and disrespect you have shown towards Hinduism has perhaps not been seen even in 5,000 years of India's history, not even by foreign invaders. You have looted Hindus like no one else has. You are a stain on Hinduism." Referring directly to the video, he added, "What are you doing? Aren't you ashamed? Apologise to the entire Hindu community."
AAP Leaders Demand Apology
Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj also expressed outrage, stating, "My religious sentiments, like those of millions of Hindus, have been hurt. This is a direct insult to my religion and to Lord Hanuman. I request Nitin Nabin to apologise and seek forgiveness at a Hanuman temple. I also urge the BJP to apologise as a party."
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Atishi questioned Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's silence on the matter. In separate posts, she alleged that the BJP president considered himself "greater than Lord Hanuman" by making the deity perform with a BJP flag before his convoy. She also directed a post at Delhi minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, accusing the BJP of disrespecting the deity by using the image for political purposes.
BJP Accused of Reducing Hinduism to Partisan Politics
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh criticised the BJP, alleging that it was reducing Hinduism to partisan politics. He posted on X: "What kind of joke is this? BJP leaders are making Lord Hanuman dance in their procession while carrying the BJP flag. If this continues, BJP will replace Hinduism with 'BJP Dharma', declare its leaders as gods and ask people to worship them."
Kejriwal Contrasts Ideologies
In another post, Kejriwal contrasted what he described as two ideologies. "Our ideology is that we are devotees of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman. We worship them, bow before them and seek their blessings. Their ideology is that they do not treat Ram and Hanuman as deities. For them, Ram and Hanuman are merely a means to gain power and money. They have no hesitation in disrespecting God," he said.
The incident has intensified the political rivalry between AAP and BJP, with AAP using the video to question the BJP's commitment to Hindu values. As of now, the BJP has not issued an official response to the allegations.
