Superstition Or Faith? Guj Minister Flogs Self With Chain At Religious Meet, Triggers Debate On Social Media

Soon after the video gone viral on social media, opposition Congress slammed Raiyani and accused him of spreading "superstition" through such acts. 

Rajkot: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Gujarat stroked a controversy on Friday after a purported video went viral on several social media platforms showing him flogging himself with metal chains at a religious event. In the viral video, Arvind Raiyani, who is a minister in Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel-led Gujarat government, can be seen swaying and flogging himself with metal chains at the religious function. 

Soon after the video gone viral on social media, opposition Congress slammed Raiyani and accused him of spreading "superstition" through such acts. 

Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi slammed the BJP leader for "spreading superstition". "Despite being a minister, Raiyani was spreading superstition by performing such unscientific acts. He was spreading superstition just like an exorcist. It is unfortunate that such people are serving as a minister in the Gujarat government," Doshi said.

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

A religious gathering was organised to pay respect to Raiyani's family deity at his native village in Rajkot district on Thursday, the minister, who handles transport, civil aviation and tourism portfolios, told reporters earlier in the day. 

"I have been a staunch devotee of the deity since childhood. My family organises such religious gatherings at our native village. You cannot term it (my act) as superstition. We were just worshipping our deity," he said.

Even Gujarat BJP spokesperson Yagnesh Dave defended the minister's act and said the Congress needs to understand the difference between faith and superstition.

"This is a matter of someone's personal religious belief. There is a thin line that separates faith and superstition. Everyone has different ways to worship their deities. Traditional rituals should not be termed as superstition. The Congress should refrain from hurting religious sentiments," Dave said.

Back in 2020, Raiyani hogged national headlines went a viral of him spitting in government-run community kitchen for poor went viral on social media. The incident took place during the stringent Covid-19 lockdown period when spitting in public attracted fine.  

(With inputs from PTI.)