'Toilets before temples': Good for Narendra Modi, so why not me, asks Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: What's good for Narendra Modi, ought to have been good for Jairam Ramesh, says the Congress of the Gujarat Chief Minister's "more toilets than temples" comment, which earned him much applause from his audience of 7000 college students in Delhi yesterday.

"My identity is of a Hindutvawadi, but I say build toilets before you build temples," the BJP's candidate for prime minister had said, as he rued the fact that many Indians still do not have access to basic sanitation. (Make toilets before temples: Narendra Modi tells students in Delhi)

His fans in his party like Sushil Kumar Modi have congratulated Narendra Modi for placing development before religion and "giving more importance to toilets than places of worship."

But the Congress says, not so fast. Did Modi's BJP not criticise Union minister Jairam Ramesh last year for saying much the same thing?

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A year ago, almost to the day, Mr Ramesh had said, "I think toilets are more important than temples. No matter how many temples we go to, we are not going to get salvation. We need to give priority to toilets and cleanliness."

The BJP had slammed Mr Ramesh, with party leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy saying, "It would be good for Mr Ramesh that out of his exuberance he stops making such comments which will destroy the fine fabric of religion and faith."

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Mr Ramesh said today, "When I made these statements I was attacked by the RSS, VHP and BJP. Why are they silent now...This demonstrates that in his quest for  Prime Ministership he (Modi) can say or do anything, not out of conviction but compulsion."

His fellow Congressmen Digvijaya Singh said Rajiv Shukla tweeted their criticism of what they called the BJP's "doublespeak."

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Last year, even Mr Ramesh's own party, the Congress, was not terribly pleased with what he had said, clarifying that the party respects "the sanctity of every religious place".