AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge during an election rally at Ahmedabad compared PM Modi to Ravana with 100 heads as he is being evoked in every election by BJP to garner votes.
In an expected manner, PM Narendra Modi while pursuing his longest trail of campaign for Gujarat assembly elections today responded to the ‘Ravana’ jibe of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and said that the strength that the state has given to him “troubles Congress.”
While addressing an election rally in Gujarat’s Kalol, he said, “There is a competition in the Congress on who will insult Modi more, use bigger, sharper insults.” Gujarat is today witnessing its first phase of vote. As per the reports up to 11 am, around 19% people have caste their votes.
Using the jibes that the Congress has recently pressed against him during Gujarat election campaigns, Modi continued, “A few days back, a Congress leader said Modi will die a dog's death, another said Modi will die Hitler's death. Another said if I get a chance, I'll kill Modi myself...Someone says Ravan, someone says rakshash (demon), someone says cockroach.”
PM Modi always utilised such statements by Congress to gain political mileage. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge while addressing an election rally in Ahmedabad said, “Modi ji is Prime Minister. Forgetting his work, he keeps campaigning in corporation elections, MLA elections, MP elections, everywhere... All the time he's talking about himself - 'You don't have to look at anyone else, just look at Modi and vote'. How many times do we see your face? How many forms do you have? Do you have 100 heads like Ravan?”
Though he basically tried to refer to the strategy of BJP to seek votes in name of Modi even in the corporation elections, the words were immediately taken up by BJP IT cell. Leaders from IT cell head Amit Malviya to national spokesperson of BJP Sambit Patra threw their hats into the rings and said that being unable to take the pressure of Gujarat elections Congress has resorted to insulting loved ‘son of Gujarat’.
Modi also responded to the ‘Aukat’ comment of senior Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry and said, “The strength that Gujarat has given me troubles Congress. A Congress leader came here and said we'll show Modi his aukat in this election. The Congress felt still more needs to be said, so they sent Kharge here. I respect Kharge but he must have had to say what had been asked. Congress doesn't know that Gujarat is a state of Ram bhakhts. Here he said Modi is Ravan with 100 heads.”
Mistry courted controversy during an election rally with his comment that the Congress will show the ‘Aukut’ of Modi. Interestingly, this sort of lose statements by Congress in election rallies are what strengthen the BJP, observe political analysts.
Gujarat will go for the second phase of election on December 5 and the results will be out on December 8.