PM Modi stirs election campaign in Jammu with Ram Temple, non-veg food references

Says not attending Ram temple ‘Pran Pratishtha’, eating non-veg during religious days reflects Congress’s ‘Mughal mindset’, accuses INDIA bloc of disrespecting faith, indulging in divisive tactics

Jammu, Apr 12 : A week ahead of polling for the first phase of the Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi set a new discourse for the ongoing campaign by invoking Ram Temple and non-vegetarian food choices allegedly by members of INDIA opposition bloc.

Addressing a mammoth gathering, the Prime Minister, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), dedicated 16 minutes out of his 37.48 minutes speech to the topic of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the alleged display of non-vegetarian food choices by the members INDIA opposition bloc during Hindu religious month like Sawan and ongoing Navratri.

Starting his address with Bhatart Mata Ki Jai, PM Modi then used greeting in Dogri language followed by invoking ‘Jor Se Bol’ with anticipation of reply ‘Jai Mata Di’ from the audience.

After initial talk over the revocation of Article 370, assembly election and statehood, the Prime Minister changed the course during the 23rd minute of his speech and viciously attacked Congress and constituents of the INDIA opposition bloc for not attending the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony (consecration ceremony) of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh on January 22 earlier this year.

In a scathing attack on the INDIA bloc for claiming that the Ram temple in Ayodhya is a “poll plank” for the BJP, Modi said it is a matter of faith for the people of the country.

He even compared the mindset of the Congress and its allies with that of the Mughals who he said used to derive pleasure from vandalising temples. He accused them of teasing the majority community by displaying videos of consuming meat during the month of Sawan to consolidate their vote banks.

Addressing the gathering, the PM said, “You people must have seen how the Congress hates the Ram temple. The Congress and its entire ecosystem start screaming if there is even a reference to the temple. They say the Ram temple is an election issue for the BJP. It was never an election issue and will never be an election issue. The Ram temple movement started when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was not even born. It was an issue at a time when the British were yet to come. It is a 500-year-old matter when there was no thought of elections.”

He also took a dig at the Congress for declining the invitation to the consecration ceremony of the temple.

He said Congress and its allies were living in huge bungalows when Ram Lalla was living in a tent. People used to run from pillar to post to get the tent changed during rains, only to be threatened with court cases.

“This was an assault on the faith of crores of people who considered Ram as the prime deity for worship. We had told these people that one day, Ram will return to his temple. Do not forget three things — one, this is a reality now after 500 years of fighting. Do you agree? Secondly, it has been done through a full process of the judiciary. It has been vetted by a court judgment and its justice delivery system. Thirdly, the people of India have contributed every penny for the construction of the temple, not the government,” he said.

Modi said the trustees of the temple “forgave” the opposition leaders for the “sins” committed by them against those batting for the shrine, and invited them by going to their houses, but they declined the invitation.

The PM said, “During the month of Sawan, a person who was convicted, who is on bail, someone went to this kind of a criminal. During Sawan, they enjoyed eating mutton. Not just this, they made a video and worked to tease the people of India,” he said, without naming anyone, apparently referring to former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav who cooked and relished meat with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on September 02, 2023.

Modi said neither any law nor him prevents anyone from eating anything. “Everyone is free to eat vegetarian or non-vegetarian food. But they had different intentions,” he said.

Modi accused the INDIA bloc leaders of deliberately indulging in such acts “so that a big section of people gets annoyed”.

“They have a Mughal mindset. They do not know that when the public gives a fitting reply, the princes of big dynasties get sidelined. Dynastic parties and corruption-ridden people should not be given opportunities,” he said.

The Prime Minister appealed to people to vote for Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore, the party’s candidates from Udhampur and Jammu. Udhampur constituency will go to poll on April 19 in the first phase while Jammu will see elections on April 26 in the second phase—(KNO)