BJP accuses Congress of 'Hindu hatred', Oppn party says 'hate factory' at work
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday cited a video of a Christian priest's purported comments mentioning Hindu goddess Shakti during a conversation with Rahul Gandhi to allege it shows the "anti-Hindu" face of the opposition party, drawing a sharp reaction.
The Congress accused the BJP of spreading mischief through its "hate factory" and alleged that the ruling party has turned more desperate ever since the successful launch of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.
In the video shared by several BJP leaders among others, the priest identified as George Ponnaiah is purportedly heard telling Gandhi that Jesus Christ is the "real god. ...revealed as a human being. Not like Shakti..." He was responding to the Congress leader's query if Jesus is considered god or not.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed the video has exposed the reality of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'. It insults goddess Shakti ahead of the beginning of Navratra, he told reporters.
This is not the first time the Congress has been involved in such incidents as the party had earlier questioned the existence of Lord Ram, he said. During elections, Gandhi pretends to go to temples but the "anti-Hindu" face comes to the fore after the polls are over, he alleged.
"Is this 'Bharat Jodo'? Denouncing one religion for the appeasement of the other. This Hindu hatred of the Congress in general and Rahul Gandhi, in particular, is no more a clandestine affair. Rahul wears it on his sleeves with pride! 'Bharat-Todo' indeed by Rahul Gandhi," Patra said.
AICC general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said the BJP's "hate factory" is sharing tweets about Gandhi which have no relation to the audio.
"An atrocious tweet from the BJP hate factory is doing the rounds. It bears no relation whatsoever to what is recorded in the audio. This is typical BJP mischief that has become more desperate after the successful launch of Bharat Jodo Yatra which is evoking such a huge response," Ramesh tweeted.
"People who were responsible for the killing of Mahatma Gandhi and the murders of people like Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh are raising questions! What a morbid joke! Such attempts to damage the spirit of Bharat Jodo Yatra will fail miserably," he said in another tweet.
Targeting the Congress, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, said, "George Ponnaiah who met Rahul Gandhi says 'Jesus is the only God unlike Shakti (and other Gods)'. This man was arrested for his Hindu hatred earlier - he also said 'I wear shoes because impurities of Bharat Mata should not contaminate us'. Bharat Jodo with Bharat Todo icons."
The opposition had "anti-Hindu DNA" which keeps reflecting itself, he alleged, referring to "saffron terror" remarks of the Congress when it was in power.
Countering Ramesh, Poonawalla said the Congress's "factory of hate" was witnessed in 1984 riots against the Sikhs when the then prime minister sought to allegedly justify it.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
