Amit Shah slams Mallikarjun Kharge for criticizing “Shastra Puja”, but Congress stands divided

The purpose of Congress was to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party, Amit Shah said the puja was performed by the Defence Minister as per Indian traditions

New Delhi: On Wednesday Home Minister Amit Shah launched an attack on the Congress after the political row erupted on Shastra puja during the handover ceremony of the fighter jet in France. Shah quoted that ‘Shashtra Puja’ is done on Vijayadashami which symbolises the victory of good over evil

The purpose of Congress was to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party, Amit Shah said the puja was performed by the Defence Minister as per Indian traditions.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh performed Shastra puja of Rafale yesterday in France. “Congress did not like it. Is Shastra puja not performed on Vijayadashami? They should ponder over what needs to be criticised and whatnot,” Amit Shah said a rally in Haryana on Wednesday.

विजयादशमी ने अवसर पर आज फ़्रांस में किया राफ़ेल का शस्त्र पूजन।दशमी के अवसर पर शस्त्रों का पूजन भारत की प्राचीन परम्परा रही है। pic.twitter.com/f4TuEKkpwC

— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 8, 2019

A political row erupted after Congress hit out at Rajnath Singh for performing Shastra puja on a Rafale during the handover ceremony in France.

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit alleged the Narendra Modi government is giving a religious turn to the Rafale handover. “Religious context of Vijayadashami and the Rafale aircraft doesn’t match. A festival that all of us celebrate, why should it be linked with an aircraft?” Sandeep Dikshit Questioned.

After Dikshit, the new Congress member, Alka Lamba, who wondered what would have happened if the ceremony was done by AK Antony or APJ Abdul Kalam as per their religion. “If former Defence Minister AK Antony would have been the Minister of Defence or former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam had this fortune today, what would have happened had they taken Bible or Quran as per their religion like Rajnath Singh?” She asked.

आज अगर पूर्व रक्षा मंत्री #AKएंटनी ही रक्षा मंत्री होते,या फिर यह सोभाग्य आज पूर्व राष्ट्रपति डॉ #apjabdulkalam को मिला होता तो क्या वह भी बाईबल और क़ुरान हाथों में लेकर अपने अपने धर्म के मुताबिक वही सब करते जो आज के रक्षा मंत्री ने अपने धर्म के मुताबिक किया?
करते,तो क्या होता? https://t.co/usFuyKXI5M

— Alka Lamba – अलका लाम्बा (@LambaAlka) October 8, 2019

She said, France-made Rafale has not even reached India and India has already achieved its first major success by squashing two green lemons and saved the country from the eyes of the evil.”

However, Mumbai Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam slammed his own party leaders for their comments against the Shastra Puja. He said Shastra puja’ cannot be called as ‘tamasha.’ Hitting out at Mallikarjun Kharge, he said, “There has been an old tradition of ‘Shastra puja’ in our country. The problem is that Malikaarjun Kharge is an atheist. In the Congress party, not everyone is an atheist.”

Some congress leaders speak against it by calling it as a Promotion of one religion and on the other hand Sanjay Nirupam backing government it shows Congress views are divided.