NEW DELHI – Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Sunday resigned from his post, following the row over his presence at a “religious conversion” event earlier this week.

Gautam was facing severe criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his presence at the event, where hundreds of people abandoned Hinduism to adopt Buddhism, and the opposition party demanded his resignation, accusing that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of hurting sentiments.

A Delhi BJP delegation also filed a complaint against the minister.

“Today is the manifestation day of Maharishi Valmiki ji and on the other hand it is also the death anniversary of Manyavar Kanshi Ram Saheb. In such a coincidence, today I have been liberated from many shackles and I have born again today. Now I will continue the fight for rights and atrocities on the society more firmly without any restrictions,” tweeted Gautam while sharing his resignation letter.

“BJP has objection to Baba Saheb and 22 oaths given by him. The BJP is using this to do the dirty politics which has hurt me and I am resigning from my ministerial berth,” he said in his resignation letter in Hindi. -IANS