Thu Mar 27 16:02:03 UTC 2025: ## Vadra Defends Rahul Gandhi’s Mahakumbh Absence, Criticizes BJP’s Religious Politics
**Prayagraj, India** – Robert Vadra, husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has defended Rahul Gandhi’s absence from the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, asserting that the family avoids public displays of religious observance. In an interview with IANS, Vadra explained that attending such large-scale events would cause disruption and inconvenience to pilgrims due to the necessary VIP arrangements. He emphasized that the family’s faith is a personal matter and doesn’t need public demonstration.
Vadra further criticized the BJP’s alleged mixing of religion and politics, citing the recent ban on offering namaz on roads and rooftops in Sambhal district as an example. He argued that faith offers solace during difficult times and that the BJP’s actions, including calls to close meat shops and rename locations, are divisive and harmful to national progress. He specifically condemned Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s statement, “batoge to katoge” (if you are divided, you will suffer), as indicative of a mindset that prevents national advancement. Vadra stated that such religiously-motivated political actions will only serve to further divide the nation.
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