‘Khuda ek, Bhagwan ek’: Why a Rajasthan BJP veteran recited ‘kalma’ at a poll rally

Rajendra Rathore, a BJP veteran and former Rajasthan MLA with seven consecutive election victories between 1990 and 2023, recently recited the Islamic declaration of faith, "Khuda ek, Bhagwan ek" (There is one God), at a public gathering in Churu. This act, aimed at showcasing his secular credentials, was made before his daughter-in-law Kanika Singh, who was contesting in the Churu Zila Parishad polls.

The gathering was in support of Kanika, and Rathore greeted attendees with "Assalamalaikum" in an apparent appeal to the local Muslim electorate. However, state BJP president Madan Rathore dismissed the recitation as not being the actual Islamic kalma, stating that he, unlike Rajendra, remembered each word of the kalma. Kanika's greeting of "Salamalaikum" elicited a similar response from Madan Rathore, who stated that it was not a sin to respond with "Namaste" or "Namaskar."

Congress spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi criticized the BJP's move, accusing them of dividing society for the sake of votes, stating that they do not give tickets to minority candidates in the Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha.