Rahul Gandhi’s ‘shakti’ remark triggers row, PM Modi says revered concept of Hinduism insulted

In the excitement over the big INDIA rally at Mumbai Sunday to mark the completion of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, a remark made by the Congress leader regarding “Shakti” slipped by almost unnoticed. A day later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi picked it up to portray the coming election clash as one between “those who worship Shakti versus those who want to destroy it”.

With Modi repeating the same at different rallies Monday, it was clear that the BJP saw Rahul’s remark as reminiscent of controversies triggered by the use of words such as “neech” and “chaiwala” by Congress leaders.

Addressing the INDIA rally, Rahul had raised the bloc’s concerns regarding EVMs, and said: “There is a word ‘Shakti’ in Hinduism. We are fighting against a shakti too. The question is, what is that shakti and what does it mean for us?” He had gone on to say that all institutions in the country, from EVMs to the Enforcement Directorate, were under the might of the Modi government.

Modi began the day Monday by claiming that Rahul had insulted the revered figure of Shakti in Hinduism. “Don’t we worship Shakti in India? Haven’t we dedicated our Chandrayaan to Shiv Shakti (the name given to the site of the landing)? But these people are talking about a life without Shakti.”

Modi added that for the BJP, Shakti was symbolic of every woman. Pointing to women seated in different sections of the audience, at a rally in Jagtial, Telangana, he said: “Mere saamne Shakti-swaroopa beti, mahilayen, behnen, Shakti ka roop dhaaran karke, mujhe aashirwad dene aayi hain (Daughters, women, sisters, the symbol of Shakti, are here before me, having taken the form of Shakti to bless me)… For me every mother, sister, daughter is the symbol of Shakti. Mein Bharat