Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of insulting Hindu beliefs and embracing a “Naxal mindset” during a rally in Katra, Jammu & Kashmir. The remarks were in response to Gandhi’s controversial comments about the concept of ‘devta’ during his recent trip to the United States.
PM Modi accused Congress of being willing to sacrifice the nation’s faith and cultural values for political gain. “Congress can put our faith and culture at stake for a few votes anytime,” PM Modi said. Referring to Gandhi’s statement abroad where he remarked that ‘devi-devta’ are not gods, PM Modi stressed that such remarks are a direct insult to Hindu religious sentiments.
“The Congress heir went abroad and said that our ‘devi-devta’ are not gods… It is an insult to our faith. Congress should be punished for this,” the Prime Minister declared. PM Modi further claimed that Gandhi’s comments reflected not just an error or a personal belief but a “planned conspiracy.” According to PM Modi, this mindset was “imported from other religions and countries” and had been adopted by Congress as part of a “Naxal mindset.”
Rahul Gandhi’s controversial remarks were made during an interaction in the U.S., where he claimed that the Indian term ‘devta’ refers to a transparent individual rather than a deity. Gandhi explained, “Devta in India means a person whose internal feelings are the same as his external expression, meaning he is a completely transparent being; it does not mean God.”
During his rally in Katra, PM Modi asserted that Gandhi’s statement was not merely an attack on Hindu beliefs but also an insult to Jammu’s Dogra culture. He accused Congress of having a Naxal-inspired ideology that aims to disrupt Indian traditions.
“This Naxal mindset of Congress insulted the Dogra culture of Jammu,” he said, suggesting that the Congress party’s actions were part of a larger conspiracy to weaken faith-based unity in the region.
Shifting focus to Jammu & Kashmir’s political future, PM Modi reassured the crowd that statehood for the Union Territory would be restored. “This is our commitment in Parliament,” he said, emphasizing that his government remained steadfast on the issue.
PM Modi reiterated his government’s stance on Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu & Kashmir before its abrogation in 2019. “No power on earth can bring Article 370 back to Jammu & Kashmir,” he declared, reaffirming the BJP’s resolve against any attempts to restore the provision.
He further stated that terrorism and separatism had significantly weakened since the abrogation of Article 370, and his government was determined to eliminate these threats entirely. “Separatism and terrorism have been weakened following the abrogation of Article 370. They will be stamped out fully,” PM Modi added.
During his address, PM Modi also targeted the Congress and National Conference (NC) for their failure to safeguard Jammu & Kashmir’s natural resources. He accused previous administrations of allowing river waters to flow into Pakistan, a decision his government has countered by constructing dams to retain water resources within India. “The Congress and the National Conference allowed river waters to flow into Pakistan, but we built dams,” PM Modi said, highlighting his government’s focus on infrastructure and development.
The rally also marked the Prime Minister’s pitch for the upcoming Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections. PM Modi urged voters to break free from the political dynasties of Congress, NC, and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which he blamed for the region’s decline.
“These elections are important to end the political legacy of the three families of Congress, NC, and PDP, which kept the state in ruins. To make this happen, the Lotus must bloom in Kashmir,” PM Modi said, appealing to voters to support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and embrace change.
The first phase of the Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections, held on September 18, witnessed a voter turnout of 61.13 per cent. The second and third phases of polling are scheduled for September 25 and October 1, respectively, with votes set to be counted on October 8.
