Rajkot: A leader of Gujarat’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sparked controversy on Friday after an alleged video went viral on several social media platforms showing him flogging himself with metal chains during a religious event. In the viral video, Arvind Raiyani, who is a minister in the Gujarat government led by Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, can be seen swinging and scourging himself with metal chains during the religious ceremony.

Shortly after the video went viral on social media, the opposition Congress slammed Raiyani and accused him of spreading “superstition” through such acts.

Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi criticized the BJP leader for “spreading superstition”. “Although he was a minister, Raiyani was spreading superstition by performing such unscientific acts. He was spreading superstition like an exorcist. It is unfortunate that such people serve as ministers in the government of Gujarat,” Doshi said.

Meanwhile, the BJP and the minister refuted the Congress claims and justified the act by stating that there is a distinction between faith and superstition.

A religious gathering was held on Thursday to pay homage to the deity of Raiyani’s family in his home village in Rajkot district, the minister, who manages the transport, civil aviation and tourism portfolios, told reporters. Earlier in the day.

“I have been a devout follower of divinity since childhood. My family holds such religious gatherings in our home village. You cannot call this (my act) superstition. We just worshiped our divinity,” he said. he declares.

Even Gujarat BJP spokesman Yagnesh Dave defended the minister’s law and said Congress must understand the difference between faith and superstition.

“It’s a matter of someone’s personal religious belief. There is a thin line between faith and superstition. Everyone has different ways of worshiping their deities. Traditional rituals should not be called superstition. Congress should refrain from hurting religious feelings,” Dave said.

In 2020, Raiyani hogging national headlines went viral spitting at him in a government-run community kitchen for the poor went viral on social media. The incident happened during the strict Covid-19 lockdown period, when spitting in public attracted a fine.

(With entries from PTI.)