Citing Tilak, PM Modi defends presence at CJI's Ganesh puja

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at Congress and other opposition parties as well as others who had attacked him for visting CJI D Y Chandrachud's residence for Ganpati puja, saying that the criticism by Congress and its "ecosystem" was reminiscent of the hatred of the British towards Ganesh puja and their "divide-and-rule" tactics.

In his first response to attacks by opposition parties and liberal activists for visiting CJI's Ganpati rituals, PM said that Ganesh utsav is not just a festival of faith but it also played an important role in the freedom struggle. "When the British were trying to divide the country in their hunger for power, divide and rule became their weapon... then Lokmanya Tilak awakened the soul of India through public events of Ganesh utsav," the PM said in a reference to Tilak's use of Ganesh puja celebrations for mass mobilisation during the freedom struggle.

Speaking at a rally in Odisha, PM Modi said: "Even today, power hungry people who are busy dividing and breaking society are having problems with Ganesh puja. You must have seen that the people of Congress and its ecosystem are angry because I participated in Ganesh puja."

PM also referred to the police in Congress-governed Karnataka confiscating an idol of Lord Ganesh after a group protested against it being taken in a procession along a particular route. "This hateful thinking, this mentality of poisoning society is very dangerous for our country," said Modi.

Reacting to Modi's remarks, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said, "The difference between true bhakti and misuse of religion for politics is not hidden from anyone. Just when Maharashtra elections are round the corner, the PM decides to go with a camera crew for Ganesh puja. Not only that, this is to the CJI's house, in contravention of all principles of judicial separation."


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