Taking strong exception to the recent remarks on eradication of Sanatana Dharma, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said any such move of the Congress and its alliance members would lead to a “complete annihilation” of the culture of Rajasthan. Such a mindset stemmed from the appeasement politics practised by the Congress, he said.
Mr. Modi, who addressed two public meetings in poll-bound Rajasthan, said the leaders of the ghamandiya (arrogant) alliance had been making very objectionable comments, including on mothers and sisters, which had created outrage among the people. The Prime Minister was referring to the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), the Opposition bloc with several frontline parties.
The rallies were organised in Pali and at Pilibanga in Hanumangarh district ahead of the Assembly election scheduled for November 25. Mr. Modi’s ire was directed at Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin who had said in September that Sanatana Dharma was against social justice and it should hence be eradicated.
“The entire country has witnessed what they said about Sanatan [Dharma]. Getting rid of Sanatana will mean annihilating the culture of Rajasthan. Will you allow this to happen?” Mr. Modi said directing the question to the audience.
Slams Congress’ appeasement politics
He said the Congress government in Rajasthan did not think of anything except appeasement, because of which the State had suffered a lot during the last five years. “Congress threw the State into riots. The morale of rioters and terrorists has increased manifold. In this land of harmony, such incidents took place which could never be imagined [earlier].”
“Your State needs a government which gives the highest priority to development, but for the Congress there is nothing more important than corruption and dynastic politics,” Mr. Modi said. The Congress had started a campaign against women ever since the Centre passed the law on reservation for women, he said, adding that the ruling party had taken the State to “the top position in crimes against women”.
The Prime Minister said no Congress leader had said anything about Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s comments on women in the Assembly, as he was a member of the INDIA bloc. It reflected the real face of Congress, which the people of Rajasthan had recognised, he claimed.
Mr. Modi accused the Congress of turning a blind eye to the incidents of atrocities against Dalits. He said the Congress government was also responsible for high petrol prices in Rajasthan and affirmed that the fuel rates would be reviewed if the BJP was elected to power in the State.
The Prime Minister alleged that the Congress, besides promoting corruption and nepotism, was also patronising drug smugglers in the northern districts of Rajasthan, which was ruining the families and destroying the future of youngsters. He assured the electorate that strict action would be taken on this front as soon as a BJP government was formed in the State.
On ‘cancer train’
Mr. Modi referred to the “cancer train”, carrying the cancer patients for Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar to Bikaner, while pointing out that the polluted drinking water was one of the reasons for the spread of the disease. He said the Congress government’s scam in the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission had deprived the people of the region of clean drinking water.
He later went to Bikaner in the evening, where he participated in a 4-km road show. With a cavalcade of vehicles carrying Mr. Modi and senior BJP leaders, the road show started from the historic Junagarh Fort in the city.
