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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his "Shakti" remark, saying the opposition INDIA bloc was trying to destroy it.
At a public rally in this district headquarters town, Modi said, Yesterday in Mumbai Shivaji Ground (park), INDI Alliance made an announcement that they want to destroy Shakti'. If they want to destroy Shakti', then worshipping Shakti' is our resolve.
Gandhi had said at Shivaji park in Mumbai after the conclusion of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra': Our fight against Modi is not on a personal level. Modi is a mask' who works for a shakti' (power). He is a shallow man who doesn't have a 56-inch chest."
In his nearly half-an-hour-long speech, Modi said when he heard the announcement to eliminate Shakti from Shivaji Park, he thought how it would have hurt Shiv Sena supremo late Bal Thackeray's soul.
Watch: PM Modi slams Rahul Gandhi for his Shakti remark
The Prime Minister noted that the announcement of eradicating Shakti was made at Shivaji Park where every child grows up with the Mantra of Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji'.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (17th Century AD Maratha ruler) took the blessings of Goddess Tulja Bhavani and marched for the freedom of India. He was a Shakti worshipper. And at the same Shivaji Park, it was announced to eliminate Shakti, Modi said.
He also took a swipe at former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Bal Thackeray's son Uddhav Thackeray, Sena (UBT) head, who was present when Gandhi made the speech. And who were there on the dais? What would be happening to Bal Thackeray's soul? the Prime Minister asked.
Noting that he was a worshipper of Shakti', the feminine form of God just as the crores of Hindus, he said it was Shakti' which gave him the energy when he entered the public life.
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Underlining that every woman of the country is a reflection of Shakti', the feminine form of God, Modi said his government always gave preference to 'Nari Shakti' or the women power'.
When Chandrayaan-3 reached where no one had ever reached before (lunar south pole), we gave that place the name Shiv-Shakti Point', the Prime Minister noted.
Modi quoted political experts as saying that Nari Shakti' is his silent voter. "But for me Nari Shakti is not voter, but Ma Shakti Swaroopa," he said.
To show his devotion for Mother Goddess, he quoted a shloka from Devi Sooktam: Ya Devi Sharva Bhooteshu Shakti Roopena Samsthita'.
According to Modi, he worships Ma Shakti Swaroopa' (The image of Energy) as she is another name for Mother India'.
Even the noted Kannada poet and Jnanpith awardee Kuvempu saw Karnataka Mata' as Shakti Swaroopa but the INDI Alliance people want to destroy this Shakti. They hate the growing Shakti' (strength) of Mother India, he alleged.
Accusing the INDIA bloc of disliking the rise of Nari Shakti' or women power, the PM said the attack on Shakti' is an attack on the mothers, sisters and daughters of the country.
He further said an attack on Shakti' means attack on women oriented programmes and Mother India.
Emergence of Shakti destroys terrorism and atrocities. Now the INDI alliance and Congress have challenged this Shakti. Every woman, daughter and sister will give a befitting reply to the Congress. They will understand what it means to challenge Shakti, he added.
The PM took a dig at the Congress government for allegedly "plundering" Karnataka and turning the state into their ATM.
Modi claimed that corruption has gone up so much in the state that there is no money to run even the government.
The Prime Minister also took a swipe at the several "power centres" in the state.
There is competition to become partner in this loot. There are CM-in-waiting', future CM aspirant', super CM' and shadow CM'. Amid many CMs, there is a collection minister in Delhi, he alleged.
He said people of the state are paying the price due to corruption and there is public anger against the state government in Karnataka.
Modi targetted Congress Bengaluru Rural candidate and three-time MP D K Suresh over his "separate nation" remarks
Congress is protecting the MP instead of throwing him out. Karnataka will not let such politics and conspiracies to succeed and it should wipe out such people in this election, Modi said.
He appealed to the people to vote with the resolve to destroy such conspiracies.
Giving a call for Ee Baari, Naanooru Meeri' (Cross 400 this time) in Kannada, he told the crowd that it was necessary that the BJP and its ally JD(S) won in all the Lok Sabha seats.
The general elections in Karnataka will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7 .
