NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of insulting Chhathi Maiyya and using the issue for votes in the Bihar assembly elections.Speaking at a poll rally in Muzaffarpur, PM Modi said leaders of the Congress and RJD consider Chhath Puja a “drama”, and voters in Bihar would remember this.
“It is my first tour of Bihar after Chhath Puja, which is now famous world over. The festival stands not just for devotion but also for equality, a reason why my government is trying to get a Unesco heritage tag for this festival,” he said.PM Modi added that he listens to Chhath songs while travelling. He said, “I listen to Chhath songs while travelling. I was once moved to listen to one of these songs rendered by a girl from Nagaland. But while this son of yours is busy ensuring that Chhath gets the honor that is its due, the Congress-RJD people are heaping scorn on the festival, calling it a drama, a nautanki,” without naming any leader.At a rally earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had accused PM Modi of planning a “drama” by attempting to take a dip in the Yamuna on the occasion of Chhath Puja. Gandhi claimed PM Modi dropped the plan after it was found that the water at the site was a puddle created with clean, piped water, while the Yamuna was polluted and not fit for bathing.Modi responded, “Look at the depths to which these people can stoop while seeking votes. This is an insult to the festival of Chhath that Bihar will not forget for centuries.”PM also criticized Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadavcalling them “naamdaars” who, according to him, who cannot digest their food without “abusing a kaamdaar” (worker).The prime minister referred to both leaders as “yuvrajs”. He said one belonged to what he described as the country’s “most corrupt family”, while the other came from the “most corrupt family in Bihar”.PM Modi said, “In Bihar’s political battlefield, a duo of yuvrajs have opened a shop of false promises. One is the prince of India’s most corrupt family, and the other is the prince of Bihar’s most corrupt family. Both are out on bail in scams worth thousands of crores.”He said the Congress and RJD were working together only for power. PM Modi said their alliance was like water and oil and claimed the two parties “grab power at any cost, so that they can loot Bihar.” The prime minister also said there were reports of fights between members of the two parties.PM Modi said surveys indicated that the RJD-led alliance would face a defeat in the election and therefore it was making “unrealistic promises.”He accused the alliance of representing five ‘Ks’: ‘katta’ (country-made weapons – lawlessness), ‘kroorta’ (cruelty), ‘katuta’ (social resentment), ‘kushasan’ (misgovernance) and corruption.PM Modi said that during the RJD rule, “35,000–40,000 abductions took place” and that “goons used to loot vehicle showrooms.” He also said songs played at the alliance’s rallies referenced weapons like ‘katta, dunali’.PM Modi said National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is working to protect cultural heritage and ensure development. He began his speech by leading the crowd into chanting, “Phir ek baar NDA sarkar” and “Phir ek baar susashan sarkar.”
