Congress leader Pawan Khera.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: The Congress on Monday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remark that the I.N.D.I.A. 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).
A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, at a rally in Mumbai, commented that the 'fight against Modi is not on a personal level since Modi is a 'mask' who works for a 'Shakti' (power)', the prime minister asserted that the fight is between those who want to destroy 'Shakti' and those who worship it.
Prime Minister Modi, referring to the opposition rally in Mumbai's Shivaji Park, said, "They announced their manifesto... and said their fight was against 'Shakti'. For me, every mother and every daughter is a form of 'Shakti'. Mothers and sisters, I worship you as 'Shakti'. I am Bharat Maa's pujari."
In retaliation, the Congress 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'," Congress national spokesperson Pawan Khera 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.
"Where was the prime minister's worship of the 'Shakti' when female wrestlers were being harassed and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was sitting inside their homes? Where was your 'shakti ki upasna' at the time," Khera posed.
"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.
Asserting that this country would not be run by demonic power anymore, but by divine power, he said 10 years ago "when the BJP was organising morchas in favour of rapists in Kathua, Unnao and Hathras, did you not remember worshipping of Shakti." 'When women were being made to run naked in Manipur, which power was keeping you silent?' he posed.
In a post on X, Khera asserted that divine power would be victorious in the election. "Rahul Gandhi will win. India alliance will win. The youth of this country will win. The farmers of this country will win. Mother India will win," he said.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that "those speaking on Hindu religion and power remained silent after seeing the brutality of the demonic crowds in Manipur, remained silent on the trampling of promising daughters in Delhi, remained silent on the hanging bodies of two minor girls in Kanpur and remained silent on the brutality of Hathras."
"All these were forms of power. No one has forgotten the barbarity meted out to the daughters of this country in the last 10 years. The powers that control a hollow man through remote have been exposed - the 'vasuli man' is stunned,'"Shrinate said in a post in Hindi on X.