“Cong Also Disapproves Ganesha Puja Like the British”, Says Modi

Bhubaneswar: Hinting at the controversy over his visit to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud’s residence for Ganesha puja celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said like the British, the Congress too disapproved Ganesh Puja.

Addressing the public after launching the Subhadra Yojana in Bhubaneswar, PM Modi said the British looked upon the Ganesh Puja celebrations with suspicion because Balgangadhar Tilak had turned the festivities into a tool for independence from the British rule.

Taking a cue from the British, the Congress too was trying to make an issue out of his participation in the Ganesha puja recently, he said.

The PM did not speak anything regarding where he participated in the puja but it was sure that he was hinting at his recent visit to CJI Chandrachud’s official residence to take part in the Ganapati puja. Modi also referred to the recent communal riots in Congress-ruled Karnataka and said in Karnataka efforts were underway to put the Ganesha in a cage.

His visit to the CJI’s residence for Ganesh Puja was criticized by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and others. Raut demanded that CJI Chandrachud must recuse himself from the case pertaining to a petition filed by a Shiv Sena MLA challenging a ruling by the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker since the PM too was a party to the case.

Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushsn too objected to the PM’s visit.