The Gujarat Election this time remained focused on burning issues like GST, demonetisation, Patidar quota, anti-dalit incidents and the like, but religious chasm between Hindus and Muslims remains a ghost lurking just around the corner.

So when Rahul Gandhi signed up as a non-Hindu at the Somnath temple register, it became an issue. In what was apparently a goof-up, Congress president-in-waiting and pat's chief campaigner in Gujarat was listed as a non-Hindu at the temple he visited on Wednesday morning. All non-Hindus have to declare their identity at the temple.

Is Rahul Gandhi not a Hindu? Does that matter?

There is an image that is going viral on Twitter that shows Rahul Gandhi's name in a register. Below it is Ahmed Patel's name. This image -

These two names -- that of Rahul Gandhi and Ahmed Patel -- were found in the register maintained for non-Hindus visiting the Somnath temple.

BJP's Amit Malviya was quick to cash in on this as he tweeted: "Finally Rahul Gandhi comes clean on his religion, signs visitor register in Somnath (as per rule) meant for non-Hindus," and asked, "If he isn't a Hindu by faith, let alone a practicing one, then why has he been fooling people with these temple visits?"

Hindu Twitter is upset. They, parroting BJP IT Cell Chief Malviya, are saying, "Rahul Gandhi has declared himself a non-Hindu," and if that's the truth, they ask, "Why is he visiting temples in case he is ashamed of calling himself a Hindu?"

Sample these -

Somnath temple has been a target of terrorist forces forever now so as per the temple committee rules if you are a non-Hindu devotee, you have to make a declaration of the same. This is when Rahul Gandhi's bluff got called. https://t.co/PKQXghgRHO - Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) November 29, 2017

Translation: Before going for darshan at Somnath temple, Rahul Gandhi, along with Ahmed Patel, makes an entry in the register for non-Hindu visitors. https://t.co/Qoe6rRy6do - Kansara (@gbkansara) November 29, 2017

Twitter erupts with reports of Rahul Gandhi declaring himself non-Hindu at Somnath templehttps://t.co/YwohHt4H69 - OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) November 29, 2017

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?

Senior journalist Brajesh K Singh's tweet about the issue sheds light into what exactly happened at the Somnath Temple. In his tweet, Singh said, "his [Rahul Gandhi's] media coordinator Manoj Tyagi mentioned Rahul Gandhi(Gandhi's) name along with Ahmed Patel(Patel's) into the spl (sic) register maintained for Non-Hindus who are visiting the temple. Major goof up in the election season(sic)."

Jai Somnath! During @INCIndia Vice President @OfficeOfRG visit to Somnath Temple, his media coordinator Manoj Tyagi mentioned Rahul Gandhi name along with @ahmedpatel into the spl register maintained for Non-Hindus who are visiting the temple. Major goof up in the election season pic.twitter.com/yYvBmIm2s3 - Brajesh K Singh (@brajeshksingh) November 29, 2017

Is that what happened? Did Manoj Tyagi write Rahul Gandhi's name in the register along with Ahmed Patel's?

The name entered in the register reads "Rahul Gandhi Ji". It's quite obvious that Rahul Gandhi would not address himself as "Rahul Gandhi Ji". It is also clear from the image that the same person has written down both Rahul's and Patel's names.

MANOJ TYAGI ISSUES STATEMENT

Sensing the importance of the matter, Congress' media coordinator Manoj Tyagi has issued a statement. In the statement, Tyagi said, "I entered just my name in the register to take media personnel inside the Somanth Temple. Neither Rahul Gandhi's nor Ahmed Patel's names were there in the register then. These would have been added later."

Dhruv Joshi, Public Relation Officer of the Somnath Trust, however, said that both Rahul's and Patel's names were entered in the register by Manoj Tyagi. Joshi said, "Ahmed Patel, Rahul Gandhi's names were entered in non-Hindu register by Rahul's media coordinator Manoj Tyagi.As per rule,it's compulsory to make such entry at security point close to entry gate for all the non-Hindu entrants."

CONGRESS RESPONDS

Congress leader Deependra Hooda defended Rahul Gandhi while addressing the media. He said, "BJP, seeing Rahul Gandhi leading a successful campaign in Gujarat, is looking for issues to divert attention and polarise the polls," and said Rahul Gandhi is a Shiv bhakt.

"Rahul Ji is an ardent Shiv bhakt. He believes in truth and we know that truth will prevail," he said.

RAHUL GANDHI'S RELIGION

Congress party released these photos as evidence of Rahul Gandhi's religion Congress party released these photos as evidence of Rahul Gandhi's religion

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has raked up the question on Rahul Gandhi's religion regularly. For instance, BJP National General Secretary Bhupender Yadav, on November 12, said, "Star campaigner of Congress Rahul Gandhi is visiting temples and offering prayers which is good as it is a part of Indian culture. However, this must come naturally to a person and not only during elections."

Star campaigner of Congress Rahul Gandhi is visiting temples & offering prayers which is good as it is a part of Indian culture. However, this must come naturally to a person & not only during elections: Bhupender Yadav, BJP National Gen Secy pic.twitter.com/pHuYuCOScn - ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2017

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on November 20, said, "Uss bechare ko yeh tak nahi maloom hai ki mandir mein kaise baitha jata hai," that translates to "That poor fellow (Rahul Gandhi) doesn't even know how to sit properly in a temple" and went on to say, "When he visited the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, he sat like he was performing namaz. The priest had to tell him that this is a temple, not a mosque."

John Fisher Burns, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for International Reporting, in a 1998 piece he wrote for the New York Times titled "Sonia Gandhi, the 'Foreigner,' Startles the Political Pundits", wrote, "Few doubted that this was code for Mrs. Gandhi's Roman Catholicism, a faith in which her son, Rahul, 27, and her daughter, Priyanka, 26, were also raised."

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy mocked Rahul Gandhi multiple times over his temple visits in Gujarat ahead of the Assembly election in the state. Saying Rahul Gandhi has been a practicing Christian for so many years, Swamy said, "Let Rahul Gandhi declare that 'I am not a Christian, but a Hindu'. Why has he got a church in 10 Janpath and he goes there to pray? So unless he declares that he is a Hindu like his father Rajiv Gandhi, we won't believe him."

Rahul Gandhi told media that he is a 'Shiv bhakt' and that he believes in honesty.