Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked Mallikarjun Kharge for his remarks on Lord Ram and Lord Shiva, saying that the Congress chief gave the statement with a malicious intent as he wanted to create animosity between the devotees of the two gods.
Kharge, while addressing a poll rally in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday in support of party candidate Shivkumar Dahariya, had said that Shivkumar can compete with Ram because he is Shiva.
“This candidate is Shivkumar Dahariya. His name is Shivkumar – ‘barabar ye Ram ka muqabla kar sakta hai kyunki ye Shiv hai’ (He can compete with Ram because he is Shiva). I am also Mallikarjun. (Main bhi Shiv hoon),” Kharge had said.
Reacting to Kharge’s remarks at a rally in Gujarat’s Surendranagar, PM Modi slammed the Congress for trying to discriminate between Hindu faiths.
“Mallikarjun Kharge has given a very dangerous statement related to Lord Ram and Lord Shiv. That statement is given with malicious intent. This is to create animosity between Shiv and Ram devotees…,” said the Prime Minister.
Even the Mughals could not break thousands of year-old Hindu traditions, how will the Congress do it, he asked.
Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said, “A month ago, their Shehzada said that he would destroy Shakti… We are the worshippers of Shakti… Shehzada said that he would destroy Shakti. Can the devotees of Shakti forgive this?….”
Terming the Congress a wrong-delivery party, he said they were asked for Independence, but they got partition, they were supposed to give development but instead, they looted the country.
“The money of the poor went to the Congress… Now they want to steal the ST, SC, OBC, reservation and give it away to Muslims…,” he added.
Earlier, while addressing a rally in Gujarat’s Anand, PM Modi launched a fresh attack against the INDI alliance accusing them of “dangerous intentions” referring to an appeal for ‘vote jihad’ allegedly by Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s niece and SP leader Maria Alam Khan.
“A leader from the INDI alliance has exposed their strategy in front of the country. The INDI alliance has asked Muslims to go for ‘vote jihad’. This has come from an educated family, not from a child coming out of a Madrasa. INDI alliance is saying that all Muslims should get together and vote,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi said that the INDI alliance has insulted democracy and the Constitution and also attacked the Congress for not condemning the statement.
“They have given their tacit understanding. On one hand, the INDI alliance is trying to divide SC, ST, OBC and general categories, on the other hand, they are raising the slogan of vote jihad. This shows how dangerous their intentions are,” he added.
Salman Khurshid and Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam Khan were booked for the latter’s alleged speech during a public rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Kayamganj on 30 April.
As per the FIR, Maria Alam Khan allegedly asked the minority community to go for “vote jihad”.
PM Modi is on a two-day Gujarat visit to seek voter support for party candidates ahead of the May 7 polling.
Gujarat, the home state of Modi, has 26 Lok Sabha seats, but voting will take place on only 25 as in one constituency (Surat) the BJP candidate has been elected unopposed.
With inputs from agencies
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