Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi has questioned what he termed as double standard of the Congress with regard to Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud for Ganapati Puja this year.
Speaking to presspersons in Hubballi on Friday, Mr. Joshi asked: “When Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister, the then Chief Justice of India was invited to participate in an Iftar organised by Congress. And, now, they (Congress) are saying that Mr. Modi should not have participated in the Ganesh festival celebrations at the Chief Justice’s residence. What logic is this?”
Mr. Joshi said that the Prime Minister went to the residence of the Chief Justice on the latter’s invitation to participate in the Ganesh festivities.
“It was a socio-religious function. There is nothing which bars the Prime Minister from going there. The Congress can do anything for its vote-bank politics. More than anything else, the Congress is opposing the Prime Minister for worshipping Lord Ganesh,” he said.
Another Pakistan?
On the violence during a Ganesh idol procession in Nagamangala, the Union Minister sought to know whether there is any rule that prohibited playing music in front of a mosque or a dargah during procession.
“Police permission was taken for the installation of the Ganesh idol and also, for the immersion procession. What does it mean, if there is a mosque or dargah, one should not play music. Does the Congress want to make Karnataka another Pakistan? It only proves that the Congress is anti-Hindu,” he said.
Mr. Joshi condemned the police action of making a Hindu youth accused number 1 in the violence case and warned the Superintendent of Police of Mandya against taking action under political pressure. The party will fight it and take it to the logical end, he said.
‘Kharge as PM nominee’
On Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s speech in the U.S., he said that Mr. Gandhi has been defaming India during his foreign visits and often raises questions about the Election Commission of India.
“He, however, wants his family members to become prime ministers. If they are serious about social justice, let the Congress declare Mallikarjun Kharge as its prime ministerial candidate,” he said.
He said that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been released on bail but not discharged of the charge filed against him. The BJP believes in the judicial system, as in the Indian judiciary, everything moves as per law, he said.
Published - September 13, 2024 07:19 pm IST
