NEW DELHI: A political row erupted after Congress workers in Varanasi celebrated Rahul Gandhi’s birthday on Friday by portraying him as Lord Parshuram and performing a symbolic milk ablution on his photograph. The BJP accused the Congress of disrespecting Hindu faith and appropriating religious symbols for political messaging.The controversy began after Youth Congress workers marked the Leader of Opposition’s birthday by displaying an image of Rahul dressed as Lord Parshuram, holding an axe in one hand and a copy of the Constitution in the other, before pouring milk over the portrait in the Ganga river.Reacting sharply, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said comparing Rahul Gandhi to Lord Parshuram was an insult to Hindu beliefs.“Congress comparing Rahul Gandhi to Bhagwan Parashuram is not just absurd, it is a profound insult to Hindu faith and tradition,” Malviya said in a post on X.He added, “Bhagwan Parashuram is revered as the sixth avatar of Lord Vishnu, a symbol of courage, discipline, sacrifice, and dharma. To equate him with a politician whose public life has been marked by repeated electoral failures, political inconsistency, and a complete lack of accomplishment is an affront to millions of Hindus.”Questioning the Congress, Malviya asked, “Would Congress dare make similar comparisons involving figures sacred to other faiths? Or is disrespect reserved only for Hindu beliefs and icons?”“The real question is: why does Congress repeatedly trivialize and appropriate Hindu symbols for political messaging? Hindus deserve an answer,” he added.BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also mocked the exercise, saying Congress workers were dreaming of making Rahul Gandhi prime minister despite setbacks faced by the party and its allies.“They have shown that out of 365 days, the Congress will remember Hindus for one day, while for the other 364 days, they will do appeasement politics,” he said in a video post on X. Another BJP spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, alleged that ‘insulting Hindu faith is the only identity of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress.’“For the Congress, Gandhi may be God. But he is not for Hindus. The manner in which Rahul Gandhi has been depicted as Parshuram ji, an avatar of God, shows that they are insulting Hindu faith all the time,” Poonawalla said.The Congress, however, hit back at the BJP’s criticism.Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar said that while some supporters portrayed Rahul Gandhi as figures such as BR Ambedkar, Birsa Munda and Lord Parshuram, he believed LoP should be recognised for his own political identity.“Today, some people are projecting Rahul ji as Ambedkar ji, some as Birsa Munda and others as Parashuram ji. If it were up to me, I would say let Rahul Gandhi remain Rahul Gandhi, because he has his own distinct identity, capabilities and a collective struggle,” Kumar said.Questioning the BJP’s objections, he asked, “Does the BJP have a patent on Lord Parashuram or Lord Ram?”Rahul Gandhi turned 56 this year and received birthday wishes from political leaders nationwide.