Union minister Ashwini Choubey slams Opposition over 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' row

By Sahil Pandey
Patna (Bihar) [India], November 4 (ANI): Union Minister Ashwini Choubey on Wednesday countered the opposition criticism of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan and said would it rather want 'Pakistan ki Jai' slogan to be chanted. "If saying Bharat Mata ki Jai is against the opposition, then should 'Pakistan ki Jai' should be the slogan? Will the opposition like it? Will opposition set the issues for Prime Minister Narendra Modi?" Choubey said.
Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Tuesday launched a counter attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for invoking Bharat Mata Ki Jai slogans in poll-bound Bihar, saying the Prime Minister was running away from speaking on the "real issues" of the state.
While the Congress termed it an attempt to divert attention from pressing issues in Bihar, the RJD suggested the Prime Minister to get a device developed for checking patriotism of the opposition leaders.
Addressing an election rally in Saharsa, Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday said, proponents of 'jungle raj' in Bihar do not want the people of the state to chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' or 'Jai Shri Ram'
"Those who brought jungle raj to Bihar, their associates, do you know what they want? They want that you don't chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. This is our country, our Bharat Mata, but there are such people who get a fever if you chant 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'... On this land, where Goddess Chhathi is worshipped, they don't want the 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogan raised. They also don't want you to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'," Prime Minister Modi said.
Choubey also added that the opposition's wisdom and thinking is finished and they are trying to mislead the public.
Commenting on the second phase of polling, Choubey said, "We have given jobs to unemployed and we resolve to provide 19 lakh jobs. We just don't promise and the opposition gives hollow promises. I have seen through people and the way they are arriving to listen to PM Modi. NDA will win."
Bihar voted in the second phase of state assembly elections on Tuesday.
Voting in the third phase will take place on November 7 and the results are scheduled to be declared on November 10. (ANI)