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Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party chief Manoj Tiwari on Saturday stoked a controversy amid polling for the Delhi assembly elections by suggesting that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal "defiled" the Hanuman temple where he visited on Friday.
Tiwari said, "Woh (Arvind Kejriwal) pooja karne gaye the ya Hanuman Ji ko ashudh karne gaye the? Ek haath se joota utaarke, ussi haath se mala lekar...kya kar diya? Jab nakli bhakt aate hain na toh yahi hota hai. Maine pandit ji ko bataya, bahut baar Hanuman Ji ko dhoye hain." (Did Arvind Kejriwal go there to offer prayers or impure the Lord Hanuman? He removed his shoes and held a garland for the deity in the same hand. This happens only when a fake devotee offers prayers. I asked the priest. He told me Lord Hanuman was repeatedly bathed).
On Friday, Kejriwal along with his wife offered prayers at the famous Hanuman Temple near Connaught Place.
Reacting to Tiwari's remark, Kejriwal alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party has been mocking him ever since he recited the 'Hanuman Chalisa' on a TV channel.
Taking to Twitter after casting his vote for the Delhi assembly elections, Kejriwal sought to know what kind of politics the BJP is doing.
"Ever since I have recited the 'Hanuman Chalisa' on a TV channel, the BJP is constantly mocking me. Yesterday, I went to a Hanuman Temple.
"Today, BJP leaders are saying that the temple has turned impure by his visit. What kind of politics is this? God belongs to all. God blesses everyone, including those in the BJP," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
Earlier this week, the Aam Aadmi Party national convener had said his reciting the 'Hanuman Chalisa' has hurt leaders of the BJP.
During an election rally in Delhi on February 4, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said, "Now Arvind Kejriwal has started reciting the 'Hanuman Chalisa'. In coming days, you will see Owaisi reciting the same. This will certainly happen."
The counting of votes will take place on February 11.
With inputs from PTI