Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks targeting the BJP over the term 'shakti' at an INDIA alliance rally in Mumbai have sparked controversy, leading to the BJP filing a complaint with the Election Commission on Wednesday (March 20, 2024). The BJP's complaint demands an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his statement.
Union Minister and senior BJP leader Hardeep Singh Puri, after complaining with the Election Commission, expressed his concerns over Rahul Gandhi's comments. Puri stated, "100%. I read out the exact thing of what he said and then we went and made a detailed presentation... He insulted the religious sentiments of a lot of people. He insulted 'Nari Shakti'."
In his complaint to the Election Commission, Hardeep Singh Puri accused Rahul Gandhi of attempting to offend Hindu sentiments and criticized him for his remarks about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Puri emphasized that making statements to appease a specific community could disrupt the country's peaceful environment.
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra concluded at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, with all parties of the India alliance present on the dais. During the event, Rahul Gandhi said, “There is a word 'Shakti' (might) in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti (might of the state). The question is, what is that Shakti and what does it entail for us? The soul and integrity of EVMs have been traded to the King (Modi). This is a fact. Not just EVMs but every autonomous institution of the country, be it the ED, CBI or Income Tax department, have traded their spines to the Centre,” he had said on the last day of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.