NEW DELHI, March 18: Under attack for his “fight against shakti” remark made at a rally in Mumbai, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday clarified that he was not talking about any religious power but the ‘shakti’ of unrighteousness, corruption and falsehood.
He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of twisting his words and said he was speaking about the power of which Modi was wearing the mask.
“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.
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“The ‘shakti’ (power) that I mentioned, Modi ji is the mask of that power and we are fighting against it. It is such a power that today it has captured India’s voice, India’s institutions, the CBI, I-T, ED, Election Commission, the media, Indian industry and the entire constitutional structure of India in its clutches,” he said in post in Hindi on X.
Using the same ‘shakti’ (power), he alleged, Prime Minister Narendra Modi waives loans worth thousands of crores of Indian banks, while an Indian farmer commits suicide when he is unable to repay a loan of a few thousand rupees.
“The same ‘shakti’ (power) is given India’s ports, India’s airports, while India’s youth is given the gift of ‘Agniveer’ that breaks their courage. While saluting the same power day and night, the country’s media suppresses the truth.
“Narendra Modi ji, who is a slave of the same power, imposes GST on the poor of the country without controlling inflation and auctions the country’s wealth to increase the strength of that power.
“I recognise that power and so does Narendra Modi ji. It is not any kind of religious power, it is the power of unrighteousness, corruption and falsehood. That’s why whenever I raise my voice against it, Modi ji and his machine of lies gets upset and enraged,” Gandhi said.
At a rally in Mumbai, Gandhi commented that, “We are not fighting against a political party…We are not fighting against Narendra Modi, nor are we fighting against one person. But, one face has been projected in the forefront.”
“In Hindu dharma, there is a word ‘shakti’. We are fighting against a ‘shakti’ (power). The question arises as to what is that ‘shakti’…,” he said at the public rally in Mumbai where several leaders of the opposition were present.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Gandhi over his “shakti” remark, saying the opposition INDIA bloc was trying to destroy it.
Asserting that for him every mother and daughter was a form of “shakti”, Modi said the upcoming polls will be a fight between those who want to destroy “shakti” and those who worship them.
At a public rally in Karnataka, Modi said, “Yesterday in Mumbai Shivaji Ground (park), INDI Alliance made an announcement that they want to destroy ‘shakti’. If they want to destroy ‘shakti’, then worshipping ‘Shakti’ is our resolve.”
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (17th Century AD Maratha ruler) took the blessings of Goddess Tulja Bhavani and marched for the freedom of India. He was a shakti worshipper. And at the same Shivaji Park, it was announced to eliminate shakti,” Modi said.
Modi said that for him, every mother and every daughter is a form of ‘shakti’ and that he worships them.
He said the nation dedicated ‘Chandrayaan’s’ success to ‘Shiv Shakti’ and the opposition parties are talking of destroying ‘shakti’.
“On Sunday in Mumbai, there was an INDI Alliance rally after the announcement of the schedule for elections. They announced their manifesto in the rally. In Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, they said their fight was against ‘Shakti’. For me, every mother, every daughter is a form of ‘shakti’. Mothers and sisters, I worship you as ‘shakti’. I am Bharat Maa’s ‘pujari’,” he said at another rally in Telangana.
“INDI Alliance in its manifesto announced to finish/destroy ‘shakti’. I accept their challenge. I will sacrifice my life for the security of mothers and sisters,” he further said.
Several BJP leaders also launched an all-out attack against Gandhi over his remark.
The Congress also hit back at Modi over his remark that the INDIA bloc’s manifesto talks about finishing ‘shakti’, saying the elections will decide whether the country would be run by ‘Asuri Shakti’ (demonic power) or ‘Daivik Shakti’ (divine power).
Congress leader Pawan Khera likened the BJP to ‘Asuri Shakti’ and alleged that the nation has seen atrocities against women in the last 10 years and cited the rape cases in Unnao, Kathua and Hathras as well as the harassment of women wrestlers.
“The prime minister is upset and the entire BJP is talking baseless things after Rahul Gandhi attacked ‘Asuri Shakti’. This election is between ‘Asuri Shakti’ and ‘Daivik Shakti’,” the Congress national spokesperson said.
He claimed that the people of the country, be it farmers, youths, women and the poor, are all standing with Rahul Gandhi and he will emerge victorious in this election.
“This election will decide whether the country will be run by ‘Asuri Shakti’ or ‘Daivik Shakti’. This country always got its strength from ‘Daivik Shakti’ and the youths, women and farmers are standing with Rahul Gandhi,” the Congress leader said. (PTI)
