Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lambasted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his ‘will finish shakti’ remark, which has been criticised by several BJP leaders for being "misogynistic".
Rahul Gandhi during the concluding ceremony of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Sunday night said that Modi "cannot win the elections without EVMs (Electronic Voting Machine)".
"There is a word 'Shakti' in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti. The question is, what is that Shakti? The soul of the King is in the EVM. This is true. The soul of the King is in the EVM and in every institution of the country, in ED, CBI, and the Income Tax department," he said.
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"A senior leader from Maharashtra left Congress and cried in front of my mother and said 'Sonia ji, I am ashamed that I don't have the power to fight this Shakti. I do not want to go to jail.' Thousands of people have been threatened like this," the Wayanad MP alleged.
Attacking Rahul Gandhi over his ‘Shakti’ remark, Modi during a rally in Telangana said: "The INDI alliance in their manifesto said that their fight is against 'Shakti'. For me, every mother, daughter & sister is a form of 'Shakti'. I worship them in the form of 'Shakti'. I am the worshiper of Bharat Mata...Their manifesto is to finish 'Shakti', and I accept the challenge...'Main jaan ki baazi laga dunga'...”.
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He also claimed the whole country is saying more than 400 (seats for NDA) on June 4 (counting day).
Modi added the people's support to BJP is growing continuously in Telangana.
“As the voting day nears there is a BJP wave in Telangana while Congress and BRS will get cleaned up,” Modi said.
He targeted Congress saying the party has crushed the dreams of Telangana. He also lambasted saying the BRS used the emotions of people.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi’s ‘shakti’ remark has generated lot of ire among the BJP leaders, who have hit back at him.
The BJP's Shehzad Poonawala said, "Rahul Gandhi in front of Uddhav Thackeray at Shivaji Park, says it very clearly, 'Hindu dharm has something called Shakti, and we are fighting Shakti'. This is the unbridled hatred that Congress and INDI Alliance has for Hinduism".
"We all know that Udayanidhi Stalin called for the elimination of Sanatana Dharma; (DMK leader) A Raja said he's fighting Lord Ram; and no action was taken on that. A series of INDI Alliance members have said that Hindu dharma is a 'dhokha' (fraud), Ramcharitmanas is potassium cyanide. Congress party has a long history of Hindu hatred, from denying the existence of Lord Ram to making the statement about Shakti," he said.
Poonawala also alleged Rahul Gandhi made the statement in a manner that "he's trying to denigrate the Gods and Goddesses of Hindu faith".
"The statement from Rahul Gandhi in front of Uddhav Thackeray shows to what extent they can fall... Today, this is not just an insult to the Hindu faith but shows the misogynistic mindset of Rahul Gandhi, who is against Nari Shakti and its manifestations," he said.
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Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also targeted Rahul Gandhi saying: "there should be some limit to which a person hates the other".
"Rahul Gandhi's intense hatred for PM Modi Ji, and arrogant display of his family status has crossed all human limits," he said.
BJP leader Khushbu Sundar also said she "was not surprised" at the Congress leader's statement.
"Someone needs to remind him, #Shakti resonates with women. The word Shakti drives from the inner strength of Ma Durga and Kaali. The inner strength every woman possesses, including respected Smt #SoniaGandhi ji. Shakti is not about Hinduism, it's about courage to fight the odds and the evils," she said.
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On Rahul Gandhi’ remark, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said: "Rahul Gandhi declares open war against ‘Shakti’.”
“Rahul Gandhi speaks of fighting Shakti. He is not just Hinduphobic but also a misogynist. This is the true character of Congress-led INDI Alliance," he said.
He also said that the Opposition bloc "is out to destroy Sanatan and Dharma, the essence of Bharatvarsh.”
He added: "Hindus worship Maa Durga. She is Shakti. We don’t fight Shakti. Since times immemorial, Asuras have tried fighting Shakti, only to be destroyed."
BJP national spokesperson Ajay Alok also criticised Rahul Gandhi.
"Parsi-Christian children are now fighting with the 'Shakti' of the Hindu religion," he said.
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He added: "this was not a fight with the BJP or (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi. They should be boycotted, enough with the politics."
