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New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) Setting the tone for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a heated exchange, accusing him of insulting not only Prime Minister Narendra Modi but also the revered deity “Chhathi Maiya” and her devotees.
Speaking on a news channel’s program, HM Shah declared, “Rahul Gandhi has not insulted PM Modi, rather he has insulted Chhathi Maiya and her devotees. He will have to suffer the consequences of this in the Bihar elections.”
The Home Minister’s comments came in response to Gandhi’s jibe at a public rally, where he had said that PM Modi would “dance on the stage” if he had to win votes. HM Shah, clearly angry, said Gandhi’s comments were not only derogatory but were typical of a pattern.
Invoking the BJP icon with poetic flourish, he said, “Rahul spoke derogatorily about PM Modi and insulted his mother, but every time he has done so, a lotus has blossomed from the mud of the lower level.”
Addressing an election rally in Bihar, the Congress leader also commented, “If Modi ji wants to do drama, drama of Chhath Puja, then water will come, video cameras will come”.
The controversy stems from Gandhi’s rhetoric flourishing in Bihar, where he urged voters not to be influenced by Modi’s “drama”, suggesting that the Prime Minister would resort to theatrics for electoral gains.
BJP has called it an insult to the cultural sanctity of “Chhath Puja” and the dignity of the voters of Bihar.
BJP strategist Pradeep Bhandari added fuel to the fire by accusing Gandhi of “mocking voters and Indian democracy” and comparing his tone to that of a “local goon”. He further alleged that Gandhi has “openly insulted every poor person in India and Bihar who voted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
The controversy has given rise to a heated political debate, with the BJP rallying around cultural pride and the Congress repeating its criticisms of the regime. As Bihar prepares to vote, battle lines are being drawn – not just on policy, but also on the emotional sphere of faith, identity and political culture.
–IANS
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