PM Modi twisting my 'Shakti' remark: Rahul Gandhi issues clarification after receiving flak

In a long post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, "Modiji does not like my words, and he keeps trying to twist the meaning of my words. He knows that I have spoken the truth. The 'Shakti' that I have mentioned and whom the Congress is fighting is the mask of Modi ji".

He said that this 'Shakti' has taken the voice of India, the country's institutions, CBI, IT, ED, Election Commission, media, and industries in its clutches.

"For that 'Shakti' Narendra Modiji waives off thousands of crores of bank loans, whreas poor farmers commit suicide for not able to pay loans of just a few thousand rupees. Besides, the country's assets like ports, and airports are given out while the youth of the country are 'presented with Agniveer' scheme which breaks their courage," the Congress leader said.

Gandhi alleged that even the media is saluting to the same 'Shakti' day and night and suppressing the truth.

He said: " Narendra Modi ji, a slave of the same power, imposes GST on the poor of the country, without controlling inflation, he auctions the country's property to increase that power.

"I recognize that power, Narendra Modi ji also recognizes that power. He is not a religious power of any kind, He is the power of unrighteousness, corruption and falsehood," he said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Pawan Khera through a video message said, "Ever since Rahul Gandhiji has attacked the demonic power, the entire BJP including PM Modi has gone berserk".

He said that this election was between 'divine power and demonic power' in which the divine power will win. "Victory will be for INDIA alliance, victory will be for Mother India".

The controversy erupted when Rahul Gandhi addressing the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra concluding event Sunday raised the bloc’s concerns regarding EVMs, and said: “There is a word ‘Shakti’ in Hinduism. We are fighting against a shakti too. The question is, what is that shakti and what does it mean for us?”

He had gone on to say that all institutions in the country, from EVMs to the Enforcement Directorate, were under the might of the Modi government.

A day later, Modi picked up that comment and said Rahul had insulted the revered figure of Shakti in Hinduism. “Don’t we worship Shakti in India? Haven’t we dedicated our Chandrayaan to Shiv Shakti (the name given to the site of the landing)? But these people are talking about a life without Shakti.”

Pointing to women seated in different sections of the audience, at a rally in Jagtial, Telangana, he said: “Mere saamne Shakti-swaroopa beti, mahilayen, behnen, Shakti ka roop dhaaran karke, mujhe aashirwad dene aayi hain (Daughters, women, sisters, the symbol of Shakti, are here before me, having taken the form of Shakti to bless me)… For me every mother, sister, daughter is the symbol of Shakti. Mein Bharat maan ka poojari hoon (I am a devotee of Bharat Mata)… I will sacrifice my life for the security of mothers and sisters.”