Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said the opposition INDIA bloc had no durability and attacked the mega alliance over issues including Rahul Gandhi's 'Shakti' remark and the DMK's "anti-woman mindset."
Targeting DMK over its leader Udhayanidhi Stalin's alleged anti-Sanatana Dharma remarks and INDIA bloc over Rahul Gandhi's 'Shakti' comments, the senior BJP leader alleged the opposition alliance was targeting the Hindu faith and women while trying to criticise BJP.
He also trained his guns at the Congress over the ceding of Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka, saying India was "paying a heavy price" for many past 'blunders' of the opposition party.
"The INDI alliance is not durable, won't stand for long. Even before elections, there is a struggle among them (the constituents). For them, coming together has only one reason and that is not ideological. Their intention is to see how to grab power," he said.
"Our politics is nation first. The basis of DMK and Congress' politics is family first. We have a vision for the country's development, we have a mission. We have a leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I want to ask them what do you have? Neither energy nor synergy," Singh said.
In a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi's 'Shakti' remarks at a Mumbai meeting recently, Singh said that in their attempt to target BJP and NDA, "INDI alliance doesn't hesitate to target the Hindu faith."
"Shakti is Hindu faith's belief but they want to destroy that Shakti. Who is called Shakti in Hindu faith, everyone in Tamil Nadu knows. In the Kottai Mariamman temple, Om Shakti is written. Mother Mariamma is the Shakti here. In Tamil Nadu, Shakti means Kanchi Kamakshi, Madurai Meenakshi. In Hindu faith, Shakti means matru Shakti, nari Shakti," he said alluding to woman power.
He asked the Congress and DMK if their alliance wants to say that "they will destroy naari shakti and matru shakti. Have they descended to abusing mothers and sisters, besides Hindu Gods and Goddesses in their attempt to criticise the BJP," he asked.
In his address in a Mumbai election rally on March 18, Rahul Gandhi had said "our fight against Modi is not on a personal level. Modi is a mask' who works for a shakti' (power). He is a shallow man who doesn't have a 56-inch chest."
Rajnath further slammed the INDI alliance for "deliberately insulting and opposing Hindu religion."
Referring to Udhayanidhi, he said the state minister had also insulted Hindu faith by "comparing it with dengue, malaria and wanted to eradicate it."
"Should not the DMK apologise for this. They opposed Sengol, which was a symbol of Tamil culture. Sengol is linked with Maths here and they are therefore deliberately opposing Sengol," he said about the scepter installed in the new Parliament building.
He said Tamil Nadu has been "witness to how INDI alliance people behave with women."
"How did the DMK behave with Jayalalithaa when she was alive. This is DMK's real face. That is why they opposed the women's reservation bill in Parliament. Because of this, crimes against women are increasing in Tamil Nadu. People have to vote against this anti-women mindset of DMK," he added.
The BJP leader praised Jayalalithaa, with whose AIADMK, his party had snapped ties last year.
"I always remember Jaya amma. She has made a very big contribution for Tamil Nadu's development. She worked for the poor, giving them a dignified life. Will always have respect for her," he said.
On the Katchatheevu issue, he said the Congress "gifted" the islet to Sri Lanka and accused the DMK also of being responsible for the struggles faced by Indian fishermen today, such as arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy. However, the BJP government ensured good diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka to give relief to the fishermen community.
"Congress has done many blunders for which India has had to pay a heavy price, and so did our fishermen. The injustice meted out to Tamils in Sri Lanka, Katchatheevu issue and the difficulties faced by fishermen-- the DMK and Congress are responsible for this," he charged.
Earlier, at a roadshow in the western town of Namakkal, Singh said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) will not take away anyone's citizenship.
"We promised a citizenship act, and we did it. I want to clarify that any citizen of India--whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew--nobody's citizenship will go away," he said.
"The DMK and Congress are creating confusion on the matter," he alleged.
On the abolition of triple Talaq, he said "mothers and sisters" from any faith are "our mothers and sisters."
"Any atrocity against our mothers and sisters of any religion--we stand with them and we proved this by ending triple talaq," he said.
The BJP implements what it promises, he said, referring to the construction of Sri Ram Temple in Ayodhya and abolition of Article 370.
