Chhattisgarh CM Baghel opened market of religious conversion in state to weaken Sanatan Dharma: Himanta

Mahasamund: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday hit out at his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel, accusing him of opening a 'big market of religious conversion' in the state to weaken Sanatan Dharma.

Addressing a public rally in Mahasamund city in the poll-bound state, the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader urged people to elect the BJP in Chhattisgarh so that a double-engine government can work for its development.

He also targeted Rahul Gandhi saying the Congress leader has never visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Sarma's rally was held ahead of the filing of nominations of BJP candidates from four constituencies- Mahasamund, Khallari, Basna and Saraipali in Mahasamund district.

"...We have to think about the situation to which the Bhupesh Baghel government has pushed Chhattisgarh. Religious conversions are taking place. A conspiracy is being played to convert tribals in every part of the state. Sanatan (Dharma) is being attacked," he said.

"We should think about what Congress has given in (the last) five years. Has he (CM Baghel) opened any university in five years? In Assam, medical colleges have been set up in each district. There has been no basic transformation in the state (Chhattisgarh). Baghel does drama every time and he has opened a big market of religious conversion to weaken Sanatan Dharma," Sarma said.

Targeting the Congress, he said 75 years passed since India got Independence, but it is PM Narendra Modi who finally constructed Ram temple (in Ayodhya). He asked why the Congress failed to build the temple all these years.

"Why didn't the PMs under the Congress rule at the Centre build Ram temple and waited for PM Modi ji (to do so)? It is because the Congress has no devotion for Lord Ram and its leaders always worshipped Babar," he said.

"I have never seen any Congress leader visiting the Ram temple in the last 3-4 years. Rahul Gandhi goes to temples during elections, but he doesn't go to the Ram mandir (in Ayodhya) as he is scared that people of Babar will get annoyed and abuse him," he added.

He hit out at the Congress government in Chhattisgarh over its promise of loan waiver to farmers, and said the Congress had made the same promise in the last election but did not fulfil it completely.

"Why did farmers in the state have to take loans? It is because their children do not have jobs. The Baghel government should have worked to generate employment," he added.

Elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will be held in two phases - on November 7 and 17.