Bihar polls: PM Modi slams Rahul Gandhi for calling BJP's Chhath Puja celebrations a "drama"

Nawada (Bihar) [India], November 2 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a strong attack against the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, slamming Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's "drama" remarks against the BJP's Chhath Puja celebrations.
Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi invoked 'Surya Dev' and lauded the floating solar plant in Nawada.
Addressing an election rally in Nawada, he said, "RJD and Congress members call the worship of Chhathi Maiya a gimmick, a drama. These people have no idea about Surya Dev's powers. It's our government that's engaged in generating electricity from Surya Dev's energy. Those who have come from Delhi and other major cities to enjoy the election season, I'd also like to tell them to go and see the floating solar plant in Nawada."
This comes after the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, in Darbhanga, said that the BJP staged a "drama" and built a separate pond for PM Modi to take a dip in during Chhath Puja.
"PM Modi said that he will bathe on the Yamuna for Chhath. The Yamuna has dirty water. If someone drank it, they would either get sick or die. No one can go inside. The water is so dirty that if you enter it, you would get sick or get an infection. But Modi staged a drama. He built a small pond there. They will show you anything for elections. A pipe is installed from behind. Clean water is poured into it. The problem arose that someone took a photo of the pipe," the Congress leader said.
Further, terming "'katta' (guns), cruelty, and corruption" as RJD's identity, PM Modi reiterated the "jungle raj" jibe.
"RJD's jungle raj had only one identity. As I say this, each one of you will believe that your Modi is telling the truth. They had only one identity: 'katta', cruelty, bitterness, bad manners, bad governance, and corruption. The signs of jungle raj stained Magadh's pride with massacre and social division. If someone's salary increased in Bihar, he would get worried because a higher salary meant paying more extortion to the RJD," he said.
"The urban naxals living in cities have lost their sleep at night seeing that Maoist terrorists, who once carried weapons in their hands, are now carrying a Constitution in their hands," he added.
Asking the gathering to switch on the torchlight in their mobiles, PM Modi took a dig at RJD and said, "Now tell me, when you have such a bright light in your palms, then who needs the lantern?"
He also hailed the NDA's poll promise to provide Rs 3,000 in addition to the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi to farmers in Bihar, saying 'jinhe koi nahi poochhta, Modi unhe poojta hai' (Modi worships those whom no one else cares about).
He said, "The governments after independence did not prioritise small farmers. But this is Modi, 'jinhe koi nahi poochhta, Modi unhe poojta hai' (Modi worships those whom no one else cares about). In the last 11 years, our government has brought small farmers to the centre of the agriculture policy."
"Farmers and people indulged in animal husbandry will receive double the gift as per the NDA's manifesto. They will receive Rs 6,000 under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, and the Bihar NDA has announced Rs 3,000 over that," PM Modi added.
NDA, in their manifesto, has promised an annual benefit of Rs 3,000, totalling Rs 9,000 for farmers, under the 'Kapurgari Thakur Kisan Samman Nidhi'.
PM Modi was campaigning for the NDA's candidate in Nawada, Vibha Devi from JD(U). Devi is contesting against RJD's Kaushal Yadav, Jan Suraaj's Arun Singh and AIMIM's Naseema Khatoon.
Nawada will undergo polling in the second phase on November 11. The polling for the first phase will take place on November 6, with results to be announced on November 14. (ANI)