The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has dared Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to use “derogatory terms” for other religious thoughts or gods referring to his “Shakti” remark during the concluding speech of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Mumbai. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said Rahul Gandhi has shown no efforts to “rectify” his statements.
Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Rahul Gandhi insulted Hindu culture yesterday. We thought that he would realise his mistake. But even after a day, there have been no efforts to rectify the statement. His coterie spokespersons were looking for meaning in his remark and attempting to justify it. The Congress party under Rahul Gandhi is no more the Congress party imbued with the doctrine and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. This is a Congress party led by a divisive mind, Maoist thought and anti-Hindu thought.”
“Rahul Gandhi is completely in the sway of these elements…Rahul Gandhi, do you have the courage to speak in the same derogatory terms with regard to the fundamental principles of faith of other religious thoughts or gods?” he added.
WHAT DID RAHUL GANDHI SAY?
At the Mumbai rally, Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition was fighting against a “Shakti”. However, Rahul Gandhi, in his comments made on Sunday in Maharashtra, raised concerns about the operation of EVMs to emphasise the Opposition’s struggle against the might of the state.
“There is a word ‘Shakti’ (might) in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti (might of the state). The question is, what is that, Shakti and what does it entail for us? The soul and integrity of EVMs have been traded to the King (Modi). This is a fact. Not just EVMs but every autonomous institution of the country, be it the ED, CBI or Income Tax Department, have traded their spines to the Centre,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“Our fight against Modi is not on a personal level. Modi is a ‘mask’ who works for a ‘Shakti’ [power]. He is a shallow man who doesn’t have a 56-inch chest,” he said.
The ‘Shakti’ remark didn’t escape an attack from the prime minister as he emphasised in his poll rallies that the upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be a fight between destroyers and worshippers of ‘Shakti’.
RAHUL GANDHI CLARIFIES ‘SHAKTI’ REMARK
As PM Modi tried to capitalise on Rahul Gandhi’s statement, the Congress leader clarified that he was not talking about any religious power but the ‘Shakti’ of unrighteousness, corruption and falsehood. Rahul also accused PM Modi of “twisting” his remarks.
“Modi ji does not like my words, he always tries to change their meaning by twisting them in some way or the other because he knows that I have spoken a solemn truth,” Rahul Gandhi said.
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Published: 19 Mar 2024, 07:32 PM IST