At a time when many non-Telugu BJP supporters have started describing Pawan Kalyan as a newly-minted Hindutva icon, an undated video from 2018 or so has surfaced online.
In the video, the Jana Sena Party leader is seen addressing a small gathering of devout Christian men. "When I was in college, a close friend of mine received the call of God (Jesus Christ) and became a Pastor. He even baptised me at one point," Pawan says in the video.
"If Christianity, despite originating in a foreign land, has spread in India, it is because of the service orientation of the religion," Pawan, who is now Narendra Modi's favourite, is heard saying in the video while also talking about his interest in Hindu temples.
On another occasion, Pawan referred to his third wife, Anna, as a devout Christian who is bringing up her two kids as orthodox Christians without facing any objection from him.
While Pawan didn't refer to himself as a Christian at any point of time, it is instructive that a section of orthodox Hindus are unhappy with him being projected as a Hindutva icon.
In politics, what matters is the political affiliation with the BJP when it comes to acquiring and maintaining Hindutva image. Chandrababu Naidu, who described Modi as an extremist in 2018 and 2019, has now been glorified by BJP supporters as a CEO only because of his association with the NDA.
https://x.com/RituRathaur/status/1799701205540884858
