BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed Congress party and “people in its ecosystem” for their criticism of his participation in the Ganesh Utsav celebrations at Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud’s residence in New Delhi recently by comparing the criticism with divisive tactics employed by the British colonial rulers.
Stating how Ganesh Utsav was used to unite the community against the Britishers by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the PM said, “The celebration of Ganesh Utsav has once again become a point of contention, much like it did during the British colonial era.You must have noticed, Congress and people in their ecosystem for past some days are agitated because I took part in Ganapati pujan.”
The PM was speaking at a public meeting here after launching Odisha govt’s Subhadra cash incentive scheme for women besides railway and highway infrastructure projects worth Rs 3900 crore.
“At a time when we are bidding farewell to Ganapati Bappa, I would like to flag an issue,” the PM said, adding “Ganesh Utsav is not just a festival of faith for us. Ganesh Utsav played a big role in our freedom struggle. When power-hungry Britishers were busy dividing the country, pitting people against each other in the name of caste, spreading hatred, using divide and rule as their weapon, Lokmanya (Bal Gangadhar) Tilak used community celebrations of Ganesh Utsav to awaken the collective conscience of the country.”
“Our religion teaches us to unite. Ganesh Utsav had become symbol of that,” Modi said, adding, whenever Ganesh Utsav is celebrated, the entire community stands together as a force without any divide.
Modi said driven by their thirst for power, Congress and those associated with its ideology have expressed their displeasure over the festival. “Spreading such hatred in the society is dangerous to the country,” he said.
Modi also mentioned about Karnataka while criticising the Congress by saying that they had gone a step further by “sending Ganesh idol behind bars.” He was referring to placing of Ganesh idol in a police van.
Modi’s participation in a Ganesh puja at the CJI’s residence had invited criticism from political opponents. Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut, among others, had criticised the PM’s visit to the CJI residence saying the same was linked to delay in hearing crucial cases.
Stating how Ganesh Utsav was used to unite the community against the Britishers by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the PM said, “The celebration of Ganesh Utsav has once again become a point of contention, much like it did during the British colonial era.You must have noticed, Congress and people in their ecosystem for past some days are agitated because I took part in Ganapati pujan.”
The PM was speaking at a public meeting here after launching Odisha govt’s Subhadra cash incentive scheme for women besides railway and highway infrastructure projects worth Rs 3900 crore.
“At a time when we are bidding farewell to Ganapati Bappa, I would like to flag an issue,” the PM said, adding “Ganesh Utsav is not just a festival of faith for us. Ganesh Utsav played a big role in our freedom struggle. When power-hungry Britishers were busy dividing the country, pitting people against each other in the name of caste, spreading hatred, using divide and rule as their weapon, Lokmanya (Bal Gangadhar) Tilak used community celebrations of Ganesh Utsav to awaken the collective conscience of the country.”
“Our religion teaches us to unite. Ganesh Utsav had become symbol of that,” Modi said, adding, whenever Ganesh Utsav is celebrated, the entire community stands together as a force without any divide.
Modi said driven by their thirst for power, Congress and those associated with its ideology have expressed their displeasure over the festival. “Spreading such hatred in the society is dangerous to the country,” he said.
Modi also mentioned about Karnataka while criticising the Congress by saying that they had gone a step further by “sending Ganesh idol behind bars.” He was referring to placing of Ganesh idol in a police van.
Modi’s participation in a Ganesh puja at the CJI’s residence had invited criticism from political opponents. Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut, among others, had criticised the PM’s visit to the CJI residence saying the same was linked to delay in hearing crucial cases.
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