West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent “sent by God” remark saying God should not be in politics or instigate riots.
“One says he (PM Modi) is the God of the gods. One leader says Lord Jagannath is his devotee,” Mamata Banerjee said at a rally in Barasat.
"A person who is God should not be in politics. God should not instigate riots. We will make a temple for him and offer him prasad, flowers, sweets and if he wishes, we will even offer him dhokla."
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Banerjee's remark came in the backdrop of PM Modi’s interview with a national TV channel where he reportedly said, “Until my mother was alive, I used to think I was born biologically. After her demise, when I look at my experiences, I am convinced that I was sent by God. This strength is not from my body. It has been given to me by God. I’m nothing but an instrument that God has sent.”
BJP's Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra also sparked controversy last week by saying that Odisha's most revered deity "Lord Jagannath is a devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi". He, however, later clarified that it was a slip of the tongue and he wanted to mean that the prime minister was an ardent 'bhakt' (devotee) of Lord Jagannath.
{{/usCountry}}BJP's Puri Lok Sabha candidate Sambit Patra also sparked controversy last week by saying that Odisha's most revered deity "Lord Jagannath is a devotee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi". He, however, later clarified that it was a slip of the tongue and he wanted to mean that the prime minister was an ardent 'bhakt' (devotee) of Lord Jagannath.
{{/usCountry}}Read: BJP aims to make inroads in West Bengal, Odisha in last phase of Lok Sabha polls
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also been taking potshots at Narendra Modi over his "sent by God" remarks. On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi said that PM Modi was sent by his "parmatma (his God)" to help industrialists, Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani and not poor.
Addressing a rally in Deoria, Rahul Gandhi said that the God in whom PM Modi has faith hadn't sent him to serve farmers and labourers.
"Everyone else is biological but Narendra Modi ji is not biological. Modiji uper se tapak kr aai hai. Unko parmatma ne Hindustan bheja hai. He has been sent by his 'parmatma' to help Ambani and Adani but 'parmatma' has not sent him to help the farmers, labourers and poor people. If 'parmatma' had sent him then they (parmatma) would have asked him to help the poor and the farmers. Yeh kaise 'parmatma' hain? Yeh Narendra Modi ji wale 'parmatma hain (What kind of God is this? This is PM Modi's God)," Rahul Gandhi said.