Once again, the Congress Scion faced criticism from both political factions and social media for his remarks that were deemed misogynistic and Hinduphobic during the closing rally of the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on 17 March 2024. Prominent figures from the I.N.D.I bloc, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray, and others, participated in the concluding event.
In discussing the revered concept of Shakti, symbolizing the Divine Feminine in Hinduism, he connected Shakti to the governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Central Government and voiced his determination to challenge this notion of Shakti. Interestingly, in Hindu philosophy, there exists no concept of opposing Shakti; instead, Shakti is viewed as the inherent energy and force within all beings that assists in the fight against negativity and malevolence.
Rahul Gandhi said “There is a word ‘Shakti’ in Hinduism. We are fighting against Shakti. The question is, what is that Shakti? The soul of the King is in the EVM. This true. The soul of the King in the EVM and every institution of the country, in ED, CBI and Income Tax department. A senior leader from Maharashtra left Congress and cried in front of my mother and said ‘Sonia ji, I am ashamed that I don’t have the power to fight this Shakti. I do not want to go to jail.’ Thousands of people have been threatened like this,”
Rahul Gandhi’s statement not only misinterprets the concept of Shakti, but in the flow of speech, he undermines the leaders in his coalition leaving many shocked and dismayed.
Netizens have been vocal in criticizing Rahul Gandhi for his strange interpretation. The BJP has also condemned the INDI bloc’s continuous disrespect towards Hinduism.
Expressing his views on social media platform X, BJP leader Amit Malviya stated, “After DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin called for the annihilation of Sanatan Dharma, it is now Rahul Gandhi’s turn to denigrate Shakti. Maa Durga embodies the diverse aspects of Shakti, or power, known by various names like Sati, Parvati, Uma, Durga, Kali, Gauri, Tripura Sundari, Shivangi, Mahadevi, and more. She is considered the primal power (adi shakti) of the Lord, responsible for creation, sustenance, and destruction. As the creative power (shrishti shakti) of Brahma, the sustaining power (paalan shakti) of Vishnu, and the destruction force (samhaar shakti) of Lord Shiva, she is revered as the mother figure in Hindu belief. Shakti also signifies women empowerment.”
“But Rahul Gandhi speaks of fighting Shakti. He is not just Hinduphobic but also a misogynist. This is the true character of Congress led I.N.D.I Alliance,”
Netizens, furious over Rahul Gandhi’s public address denouncing their religious beliefs, have strongly criticized the Congress scion on social media platform X. Here are some reactions:
Rahul Gandhi, known for disregarding the counsel of his personal PR team and political strategists in electoral matters, has recently shown a willingness to heed the voices of minority groups, as critics note. This shift is exemplified by his engagement with figures like George Ponnaiah, a controversial Catholic priest whom he met on day 1 of his Bharat Jodo Yatra in TN which commenced from Kanyakumari and ended at Kashmir in 2023. A widely circulated video captured a conversation between Gandhi and Ponnaiah, during which the latter was seen advocating Christianity to the former.
During this exchange, Gandhi queried Ponnaiah about the nature of Jesus Christ, prompting the priest to assert Jesus as the true embodiment of God, contrasting him with the Hindu concept of Shakti. In his latest speech, it seems as if Gandhi has since utilized this notion of Shakti, framing it as a negative characteristic of the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, positioning himself as fighting against this force. This incident serves as one of many instances where Gandhi has been criticized for making disparaging remarks about Hinduism.
It’s astonishing to witness how the second-generation leaders of the I.N.D.I bloc consistently resort to divisive rhetoric in their pursuit of minority support. For instance, on 2 September 2023, Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin and the Sports Minister of DMK, delivered a speech at the “Eradicate Sanatana Dharma Conference,” wherein he made inflammatory remarks “Mosquitoes, dengue, flu, malaria, corona – we should not oppose these things. They’ve to be eradicated completely. Same is the case with Santanam (Hinduism). Our first work should be to abolish/eradicate Sanatanam instead of opposing it. So, my appreciations to you all for giving an apt title to the meeting”, DMK Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said.
He also further went on to say “What is Sanatanam? The name Sanatanam itself comes from Sanskrit. Sanatanam is opposed to equality and social justice. What is the meaning of Sanatanam? Eternal or something that can’t be changed. Something that can’t be questioned. That is the meaning of Sanatanam.”
It is worth noting that Udhayanidhi Stalin, who had identified himself to be a Christian recently and an atheist earlier, has once again made a vitriolic speech against Hinduism and followers of the Hindu faith. With the upcoming elections intensifying efforts to appease minorities, there has been a rise in attacks targeting the Hindu faith.
(with inputs from OpIndia)
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally
