Kharge asks if taking dip in Ganga ends poverty, says BJP leaders competing for cameras
Mhow (MP), Jan 27 (PTI): On a day Union Home Minister Amit Shah took a dip at the Triveni Sangam, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday asked if poverty could be ended by taking a dip in the Ganga, alleging that BJP leaders were competing to take a dip for the cameras.
Addressing the 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' rally in this Madhya Pradesh town, Kharge said BJP leaders kept taking dips till it appeared good on camera, even as he asserted that was not questioning anyone's faith.
He also extended his apology if anyone was hurt by his comment.
"Don't fall into the trap of false promises of (Narendra) Modi. Is poverty ended by taking a dip in the Ganga? Does it fill your stomach? I don't want to question anyone's 'aastha (faith)'. If anyone feels bad, I apologise," Kharge said.
"But tell me, when a child is dying of hunger, is not going to school, labourers are not getting their dues, at such a time, these people are spending thousands of rupees and competing for taking dips (in the Ganga)," the Congress chief said.
They keep taking dips till it appears good on the camera, he said.
"Such people cannot benefit the country. Our faith is in God -- people perform 'puja' at home every day, all women move out of their homes after performing 'puja', there is no issue. But we have an issue with the poor being exploited in the name of religion," Kharge said.
His remarks came hours after Shah took a dip at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh.
Flanked by some top seers, Shah took the dip around 1 pm.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also took a dip separately.
The home minister also held an interaction with Junapithadheeshwar Mahamandaleshwar Acharya Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj and some other top seers aboard a cottage on a floating jetty.
Shah's visit was marked by unprecedented security cover in the mela area and Prayagraj.
During the Mhow rally, Kharge also took a swipe at Shah's remarks in the Rajya Sabha that had created a furore during the Winter Session.
"'Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai -- Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion these days to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven)'," Shah had said in a jibe at the opposition.
Referring to the remarks, Kharge slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, saying, "They have committed so many sins that they cannot go to 'swarg (heaven)' in 100 lives."
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Edited photo of Actor Prakash Raj taking dip at Maha Kumbh Mela goes viral, complaint filed
Bengaluru: Actor Prakash Raj on Tuesday clarified that a photo of him taking a holy dip at the Maha Kumbh Mela, which is doing rounds across social media platforms, was fake. The multilingual actor has filed a police complaint against the miscreants in this regard.
The digitally manipulated image was posted by an account named Prashant Sambaragi, captioned: "Actor Prakash Raj at the Kumbh Mela. He bathed in the Triveni Sangam. Let's hope that his sins are washed away." The image also bizarrely showed the actor’s hand blending into an artificial design, suggesting the use of AI editing.
Taking to ‘X,’ actor Prakash Raj clarified that it was fake news. He stated, "Fake news. The job of the cowardly army of the 'False King' is to spread fake news and defile even their holy worship. A police complaint has been filed. Let's see what they do in the courtroom."
ಸುಳ್ಳು ಸುದ್ದಿ
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) January 28, 2025
“ಸುಳ್ಳ ರಾಜ” ನ ಹೇಡಿಗಳ ಸೈನ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ .. ಅವರ ಪವಿತ್ರ ಪೂಜೆಯಲ್ಲೂ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಸುದ್ದಿ ಹಬ್ಬಿಸಿ ಹೊಲಸು ಮಾಡುವುದೇ ಕೆಲಸ .. police complaint ದಾಖಲಾಗಿದೆ .. ಕೋರ್ಟಿನ ಕಟಕಟೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಏನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೋ ನೋಡೋಣ 😊 #justasking pic.twitter.com/S6ySeyFKmh
