Rahul Gandhi visits 4 temples, Congress says it is to 'counter' BJP-RSS's Hindutva line

Agencies
September 28, 2017

Chotila/Kagvad, Sept 28: Apparently seeking to showcase the Congress's soft Hindutva, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday offered prayers at four temples in Gujarat before wrapping up his three-day visit to the poll-bound state, a move his party said was aimed at countering the hardline Hindutva of the BJP and RSS.

However, the ruling BJP took a dig at Gandhi, saying the Congress vice president was visiting temples as his party has failed to win elections in the state for long time.

In New Delhi, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram deprecated attempts at reading any political meaning into Gandhi's visit to temples.

Gandhi, who had kicked off his tour after offering prayers at the Dwarkadhish temple on Monday, resumed his road-show on Wednesday morning by trekking up the famous Chotila temple in Surendranagar district.

Starting his tour from Rajkot on Wednesday morning, Gandhi came to Chotila and began the steep climb immediately. He climbed around 1,000 steps in about 15 minutes without a break.

After he had offered prayers, the priests apprised him of the importance of the shrine.

The Congress leader climbed down the stairway in another 15 minutes, greeting devotees on his way back.

In the evening, Gandhi visited Khodal Dham temple in Kagvad village to offer prayers to Khodiyar Mata, the reigning deity of the Leuva Patel community. A section of Patels are up in arms against the state's BJP government over their demand for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.

On his arrival, Gandhi was greeted by a large number of Patidars, who chanted their signature slogan - 'Jai Sardar, Jai Patidar' to welcome the Congress leader.

On his way to Jetpur from Kagvad, Gandhi also paid a visit to a temple dedicated to Dasi Jeevan, revered by Dalits and Buddhists.

He also made an unscheduled visit to another shrine — Jalaram temple — in Veerpur in Rajkot district.

"I don't think you should read political meaning into that. I think there is much else that is happening in his visit to Gujarat. I think we should focus on that," Chidambaram said in the national capital.

"We have always held that each one is entitled to practice his own faith, we treat all faiths equal. That is the position of the Congress party. From the days of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, that is the stance of the Congress party," he said, while dismissing suggestions that the temple visits were an attempt to woo Hindu voters.

Commenting on Rahul Gandhi's visit to temples, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said the party was deliberately projected as anti-Hindu by the BJP and the RSS.

"Rahul Gandhi's visit to various temples during his tour is aimed at countering the hardline Hindutva campaign of BJP and RSS," Doshi said.

"The RSS and BJP have deliberately tried to portray the Congress as anti-Hindu, which is not true," he said.

AICC spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said, "Our idea of secularism is different from them (BJP), as we visit religious places of all the faiths. This is nothing new. Our former PM Indira Gandhi used to do the same."

However, a state BJP leader said Gandhi was visiting temples as his party was not winning elections.

"Rahul Gandhi has started visiting temples and shrines as his party is not winning elections in any state," state BJP spokesperson Raju Dhruv said.

On Tuesday, Gandhi also attended a garba event organised by MLA Indranil Rajyaguru in Rajkot and performed 'aarti' in front of the idol of goddess Durga.

"The day ends well with garba in Rajkot," the Congress vice president had tweeted.

On his way from Chotila to Kagvad, Gandhi addressed people at some places. In his speeches, he promised that the Congress would waive all farm loans within 10 days of assuming power after the elections, which are due later this year.

In the last two days, Gandhi repeatedly attacked the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on GST, note ban and farm polices.

He had also invoked Sardar Patel's legacy to woo the Patel community ahead of the crucial state polls.

Gandhi had also expressed confidence about his party winning the assembly elections, claiming that there was a strong undercurrent in favour of the Congress in Gujarat.

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News Network
April 2,2020

Chandigarh, April 2: A 59-year-old woman and her 10-month-old granddaughter have tested positive for novel coronavirus in Chandigarh on Thursday.

According to the Chandigarh Health Department, they are family contacts of the NRI couple that tested positive for COVID-19 earlier.
With this, the total cases in the Union Territory rose to 18.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 1,965 on Thursday, after as many as 328 new cases were reported, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. So far, at least 50 people have lost their lives due to the virus.

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News Network
February 21,2020

Nagpur, Feb 21: Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Friday condemned AIMIM leader Waris Pathan's reported remarks that 15 crore Muslims are more than a match for the country's 100 crore Hindus, and asked the latter not to mistake the majority community's tolerance for weakness.

Pathan has been widely condemned for reportedly stating that "15 crore hain lekin 100 crore pe bhari hain".

He purportedly made these comments while addressing an anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act rally in Kalaburagi in north Karnataka on February 16. The AIMIM leader has claimed he was quoted out of context.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis demanded an apology from Pathan and asked the Uddhav Thackeray government to take action.

"We condemn the statement made by Waris Pathan and demand an apology. In case he does not apologise, the state government must take action against him," he said.

Fadnavis said Pathan should understand that minorities were safe and enjoyed full freedom in India because 100 crore Hindus live in the country.

He said no one would dare utter such a statement in a Muslim-majority nation, adding that the "Hindu community is tolerant but its tolerance should not be mistaken for weakness".

"Pathan should apologise to the nation and the Hindu community," he said.

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coastaldigest.com news network
June 17,2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had maintained silence on Chinese aggression and massacre of Indian in eastern Ladakh, now issued a statement saying ‘India wants peace’. He added that India is capable of giving a befitting reply if provoked. 

The prime minister started his meeting with chief ministers on the Covid-19 with a two-minute silence as a tribute to the 20 soldiers who were killed in action in Galwan Valley this week. As he spoke, it became clear that the message was aimed not just at reassuring the nation but also delivering a sharp message to Beijing.

“I would like to assure the nation that the sacrifice of our jawans will not be in vain. For us, the unity and sovereignty of the country is the most important,” PM Modi said. Home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh were also present in the meeting.

Over twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the violent face-off which took place in Eastern Ladakh on Monday. The troops fought each other with fists and rocks. After the clash, the two sides “disengaged” from the area where the fighting happened, the Indian army statement said. A news agency quoting sources said four Indian soldiers are in critical condition after the face-off.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh mourned the death of 20 Indian soldiers. “The loss of soldiers in Galwan is deeply disturbing and painful. Our soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army,” he said in a statement.

“The Nation will never forget their bravery and sacrifice. My heart goes out to the families of the fallen soldiers. The nation stand shoulder to shoulder with them in this difficult hour. We are proud of the bravery and courage of India’s bravehearts,” the minister further said in the statement posted on Twitter.

These are the first Indian casualties in a border skirmish with PLA since October 1975 when Chinese troops ambushed an Indian patrol in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tulung La sector and shot four soldiers dead.

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