Prime Minister Narendra Modi castigated Congress and other opposition parties for criticizing him over his visit to Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud's residence for Ganpati rituals, 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.
During a rally in Odisha on Sep 17, Modi 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,"
Modi said in reference to Tilak's use of Ganesh puja celebrations for mass mobilization during the freedom struggle.
"Power-hungry people who are busy dividing and breaking society are having problems with Ganesh puja even today. You must have seen that the people of Congress and its ecosystem are angry because I participated in Ganesh puja," he added.
Modi cited 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 and this mentality of poisoning society is very dangerous for our country," he said.
Meanwhile responding to Modi's remarks, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal in a statement said, "The difference between true bhakti and misuse of religion for politics is not hidden from anyone,” adding, “Just when Maharashtra elections are around 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."
