E-Paper
Narendra Modi says Rahul Gandhi mocked Dwarka puja: ‘I went underwater but Shahzada…’
PM Narendra Modi also attacked Rahul Gandhi's ally in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Amroha: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday claimed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi mocked his underwater prayers in Gujarat's Dwarka earlier this year, for the sake of his 'vote bank'. Addressing an election meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Amroha, PM Modi said the ‘Shehzada of the Congress’ dismissed his beliefs.
“Archaeologists have found Dwarka in the sea. I went underwater and performed a puja at Dwarka…but the Congress's Shehzada says there is nothing worth praying for in the ocean. These people have dismissed our culture, our beliefs that are thousands of years old, only for their vote bank,” PM Narendra Modi said.
PM Narendra Modi also attacked Rahul Gandhi's ally in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
“And I want to ask those who called themselves Yaduvanshi in Bihar, if you are a true Yaduvanshi then how are you sitting with a party that is insulting it,” Narendra Modi added.
Rahul Gandhi had taken a jibe at PM Modi when the latter performed an underwater puja in the remains of the ancient submerged city of Lord Dwarka, reported ANI.
"The issues of farmers, inflation, unemployment, and agniveers are the most prominent in the country today, but on TV channels, you will never see discussion on these issues. Instead, TV channels show Modi ji all 24 hours; at times he goes under the sea to do a puja and a TV camera goes with him, then he takes a flight on a seaplane," Rahul Gandhi had said.
PM Modi also took a jibe at Yadav and Gandhi, saying "a film starring two princes in UP has been rejected" by the people of Uttar Pradesh.
"Every time these people set out to ask for votes from the people of UP carrying the basket of nepotism, corruption and appeasement. In their campaign, these people leave no opportunity to attack our faith," he said.
PM Modi said those who ran previous governments cheated the people who belonged to the marginalised communities.
"Earlier governments in our country kept cheating SC/ST and OBC in the name of social justice. The dream that Jyotiba Phule had, the dream that Baba Saheb Ambedkar had, the dream which Chaudhary Charan Singh had, now Modi is fulfilling that dream of social justice," he said.
Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav are contesting the Lok Sabha elections in an alliance. Yadav's Samajwadi Party is contesting 63 seats, whereas the Congress has fielded its candidates in 17 seats.
Voting for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections is underway in 102 seats across 21 states.
