Shah takes on Cong over Art 370, Rafale `shastra pooja'

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress for opposing the abrogation of Article 370 and undermining the Indian tradition of ‘Shastra Puja’ (weapon worship) amidst controversy over shastra pooja performed before induction of the first Rafael fighter jet into the IAF.

“They (Cong) don’t know what to oppose. Is shastra Pooja not our Indian tradition? Congress sees it as a Tamasha. It’s not their fault. They know ‘Italian’ tradition more than Indian tradition,” Shah said, addressing rallies in Haryana today ahead of the October 21 Assembly elections.

Espousing nationalism to connect with the electorate in poll-bound Haryana, Shah spoke about a variety of issues - from surgical strikes, National Register Citizens (NRC) to abrogation of Article 370 and banning triple talaq - to underline BJP’s resolve to strengthen India.

“Rahul Gandhi gets a stomach-ache if Army is strengthened,” he said. Shah appealed to the BJP for votes, saying this will be the first election after the abrogation of Article 370.

Shah referred to instances of Congress standing with the 'Tukde Tukde gang' even as his speech centered around Article 370 and surgical strikes under Modi. “The first thing we did was to throw out Artcile 370, After independence, none did it. It has integrated India,” he said. Rahul Gandhi, he lamented, wanted even proof for surgical strikes.

Modi raked up the NRC issue inviting a thunderous applause from the audience. “One by one, we will throw infiltrators out. For 70-years they have been a threat to national security. But the Congress opposed it.”

Ridiculing former PM Manmohan Singh as a ‘mauni baba’ (mute man), Shah said that during the recent ‘Howdy Modi’ event in the US, even President Trump was astonished to see such huge crowds for Modi.

“When Manmohan Singh would travel abroad, he would only read the two lines given to him to read. Sometimes the paper to be read in Thailand would be read in Malaysia and he would return. Now Modi goes abroad, and the Modi chant is all over,” he said.