Congress-RJD leaders insulting 'Chhathi Maiyya', Bihar will never forgive them: PM Modi
Muzaffarpur(PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday alleged that Congress and RJD leaders were insulting 'Chhathi Maiyya' to get votes in the Bihar elections, and the people of the state will not forgive them for centuries.
The statement came a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the PM had tried to enact a "drama" by planning to take a dip in the Yamuna at Delhi on the occasion of Chhath Puja.
Addressing an election rally in Muzaffarpur, where Gandhi had held one of his public meetings on Wednesday, Modi said, "It is my first tour of Bihar after Chhath Puja, which is now famous world over. The festival stands not just for devotion but also for equality, a reason why my government is trying to get a UNESCO heritage tag for this festival."
"I listen to Chhath songs while travelling. I was once moved to listen to one of these songs rendered by a girl from Nagaland. But while this son of yours is busy ensuring that Chhath gets the honour that is its due, the Congress-RJD people are heaping scorn on the festival, calling it a drama, a nautanki," said Modi, without mentioning any leader by name.
Gandhi had alleged that Modi gave up his plans to take a dip when it came to light that the spot he had chosen was a puddle created with clean, piped water, since the Yamuna was extremely polluted and not fit for a bath.
Modi said, "Look at the depths to which these people can stoop while seeking votes. This is an insult to the festival of Chhath that Bihar will not forget for centuries."
He alleged that the relationship between the RJD and Congress was like water and oil, and they came together to "grab power at any cost, so that they can loot Bihar".
"The biggest news in this election is not that abuses are being hurled at me. The biggest news is the infighting between Congress and the RJD. Both parties are pulling each other down despite being allies. The greed for power is the only thing that has brought them together," he alleged.
Terming his opponents as "naamdar" (people with a pedigree), the PM said, "They cannot stomach the fact that a backward class leader, who used to sell tea, has attained such heights. They need to know I do not owe my achievements to their benediction but to the blessings of the people and the Constitution framed by Babasaheb Ambedkar."
He alleged that Ambedkar was insulted by the Congress and RJD leaders.
He claimed that all surveys were showing that the RJD-led coalition would face a humiliating defeat in the assembly polls, so it was making "unrealistic promises".
"All surveys are indicating that the NDA is heading for a big victory. And the RJD-Congress combine will face the worst drubbing in their history," he claimed.
Modi also alleged that the Congress-RJD combine stood for five 'Ks' -- 'katta' (country-made weapons – lawlessness), 'kroorta' (cruelty), 'katuta' (social resentment), 'kushasan' (misgovernance) and corruption.
He remarked, with a hint of alarm, "What type of songs are being played at the rallies of RJD. These speak of 'katta', 'chhura' (dagger), 'dunaali' (double-barreled guns), and kidnapping sisters and daughters."
Modi claimed 35,000-40,000 abductions took place during the RJD regime in the state, and "goons used to loot vehicle showrooms".
"The NDA, on the other hand, stands for preserving and honouring cultural heritage and ensuring all-round development of all states, including Bihar," asserted Modi, who began his speech by making the crowds chant 'phir ek baar NDA sarkar' and 'phir ek baar susashan sarkar' (NDA government once again, good governance once again).
He asked those who "looted" railways how they could develop connectivity in the state.
Known for peppering his speeches with local flavour, the PM uttered a few sentences in local dialect Vajjika and said, "you people have such a sweet way of speaking", noting that Muzaffarpur was famous for "shahi litchi", and luminaries like freedom fighter Khudiram Bose and renowned Hindi litterateurs Ram Vriksh Benipuri and Janaki Vallabh Shastri.
The PM, who spoke of land for jobs scam, in which RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and INDIA bloc's CM candidate Tejashwi Yadav are named as accused, also made a mention of "Golu murder case", an incident of 2001 when kidnapping and murder of a bank employee's eight years old son had left the north Bihar town on the boil.
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Swamiji fires gun into the air in Kalaburagi village, video goes viral
Kalaburagi: An incident involving a swamiji firing a gun into the air has been reported from Udachan village in Afzalpur taluk of Kalaburagi district. The act, captured on video, has since gone viral on social media.
The swamiji has been identified as Sri Shantalinga Shivacharya, pontiff of the Hiremath of Sri Shankaralingeshwara Samsthana. According to reports, the incident took place on Sunday evening within the premises of the math, where the swamiji allegedly fired a single-barrel gun into the air.
This is not the first time the swami has courted controversy. Last year, he was reportedly found driving erratically under the influence of alcohol in Salotagi village of neighbouring Indi taluk, following which members of the public confronted him. He later fled from the math, sources said.
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More recently, during the annual fair of the Sri Shankaralingeshwara Math in Udachan village, the swami had arrived at the village with police protection, claiming to be the rightful pontiff of the math. Despite opposition from villagers, he reportedly went ahead and conducted rituals related to the fair.
The latest incident of firing the gun into the air has triggered criticism, especially after the video surfaced online. Further action, if any, is awaited from the authorities.
