Former Madhya Pradesh CM and Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh told journalists here on Monday that the BJP and its ideological guide Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were “enemies of Sanatan Dharma.” He accused these organisations of insulting Lord Shiva by coining the slogan 'Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi'.
The slogan is inspired by the Hindu chant 'Har Har Mahadev' which is alternately translated as ‘Mahadev (Shiva), the ultimate destroyer’ and ‘Everyone is god.’
“Mahadev is the king of Varanasi and the BJP changing this to Har Har Modi is an insult to Sanatan Dharma. I appreciate Shankarachayra Swaroopanand Saraswatiji raising this with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. However, I am surprised that even after the BJP has retracted the slogan, Kailash Vijayvargiya says it can be used even if it hurts religious sentiments,” said Mr. Singh
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Madhya Pradesh Urban Development minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, known for his closeness to Singh, was quoted as saying: “Slogans come up because they are already in popular usage. I don’t see any problem using it even if some people claim that their religious sentiments are hurt.”
The state’s Home Minister Babulal Gaur said that 'Har Har' should be replaced with Jai Jai (Hail Hail) Modi as Har Har Modi hurts Hindu sentiments.
Mr. Singh added that the slogan exposed the fascist mentality of the RSS and BJP which “seek to make a man into a superman and a superman into God.” In an interview to a TV channel he said, “People who are not even supporters of the BJP would have accepted, like they accepted Atal Behari Vajpayee, the personality of Sushma Swaraj rather than the imposing persona of Mr. Narendra Modi.”
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Congress leader Jagdish Yadav accused Singh of siding with the Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh camp of the BJP. “I have written about this to Sonia Gandhiji and I am also going to write to state president Arun Yadav. Digvijayaji has fielded his brother Laxman Singh to make Sushma Swaraj win. This sort of thing must be stopped,” he said.
Yadav had earlier been suspended from the party for calling Digvijay inauspicious. He was later taken back on a request from Digvijay himself to the party’s state unit.