Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condemned the Congress and the Samajwadi Party as “anti-Sanatan”, continuing to invoke religion in his election campaign as the first phase of polling rolled on in parts of the country.
“Both the Samajwadi Party and the Congress rejected the invitation to the Pran Pratistha after the Ram temple was built in Ayodhya. Can you imagine it?” Modi said at a rally in the Gajraula area of Amroha, an Uttar Pradesh constituency that votes in the second phase.
“In contrast, those who fought the case of the Babri Masjid all their lives attended the Pran Pratistha even though they lost the case in the Supreme Court. These people (who rejected the invitation)… are worse than them (those who fought in court against a Ram temple at the site).”
Modi added: “They are not satisfied just rejecting the invitation, they keep cursing the Ram temple and the Sanatan religion.”
Modi referred to the Ram Navami celebrations at the Ram temple on April 17.
“Surya Tilak of Lord Ram was done there. Did you all see this? The entire country is Ram-mai (steeped in devotion to Lord Ram) but the Samajwadi Party members say for the sake of their vote bank that those people (who organised the event in Ayodhya) are pakhandi (hypocrites),” he said.
“Are you all hypocrites? Are all the followers of Ram hypocrites? The INDIA alliance members hate Sanatan.”
Modi also referred to his much publicised underwater venture (accompanied by navy divers) in the Arabian Sea.
“I went to Dwarka. Archaeologists have found that the original Dwarka is now under the sea. I went there, deep under the water, reached the old Dwarka town and worshipped there.... I also placed a peacock feather.
“But the shahzada (prince, an allusion to Rahul Gandhi) of the Congress said there was nothing under the sea to worship. He is rejecting our thousand years of faith…. How can those who call themselves Yaduvanshi (leaders of the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal) ally with a party that disrespects a worshipper of the god in Dwarka?”
Amroha votes on April 26.
