"Even practicing one's faith becomes a problematic," PM Narendra Modi said in Tonk.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a day after accusing the Congress of planning to redistribute the country's wealth in favour of "infiltrators", said even listening to Hanuman Chalisa has "become a crime under the Congress". Speaking at a meeting in Rajasthan's Tonk district three days before the second phase of the general election, PM Modi recounted an incident in "Congress-ruled Karnataka" where a man was beaten up while listening to Hanuman Chalisa at his shop. He also doubled down on his yesterday's remarks, saying his flagging the issue has scared the Opposition bloc INDIA.
"Here was a poor man, who was sitting in his little shop listening to Hanuman Chalisa. He was badly beaten up till he was bleeding... This is the way the Congress runs its government in Karnataka," he said.
"Even practicing one's faith becomes a problematic... and Rajasthan has first-hand experience of this," PM Modi said, citing in this connection the Congress leaders' absence at the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya's Ram temple.
"The leaders had declined the invitation of the temple committee. So their aides and followers can easily beat up people listening to Hanuman Chalisa," he said.
PM Modi also referred to his "wealth to infiltrators" claim that has snowballed into a huge political row and reiterated that the main Opposition party is appeasing the minorities.
"When I came to Rajasthan the day before yesterday, I had presented some truths before the country in my 90-second speech," PM Modi said.
"This has created panic in the entire Congress and INDI alliance. I had put the truth before the country that Congress is hatching a deep conspiracy to snatch your property and distribute it to its special people. I exposed their vote bank and appeasement politics. After all, why is Congress so afraid of the truth?" the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi had said yesterday that the Congress manifesto promises that if they come to power, "everyone's property will be surveyed, it will calculate gold belonging to mothers and sisters and then redistribute it. They "won't even spare your mangalsutra," he has said at a meeting in Rajasthan.
The Congress has filed a complaint with the Election Commission about the Prime Minister's speech, seeking immediate action.
The "unprecedented and malicious allegations" are aimed at "creating enmity between groups, far worse than any ever made by a sitting Prime Minister in the history of India," the Congress wrote to the Commission. "This cannot go unchecked, unanswered and unpunished," it had added.