Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit back at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s comment on ‘shakti.’ While speaking at a rally in Telangana’s Jagtial, he said that He is ready to sacrifice his life for ‘shakti’ (Main jaan ki baazi laga dunga). Comparing the word ‘shakti’ to woman empowerment, he remarked that every woman, whether a mother, daughter, or sister, embodies ‘shakti,’ saying that he himself is a worshipper of Bharat Mata.  

As the vote counting for all 543 Lok Sabha seats are scheduled to take place on June 4, PM told, “The competition will take place on June 4 (Muqabla 4 June ko ho jaaega).” Taking a dig at the opposition, the PM said that on the one hand, there are people who talk about the destruction of power, while on the other hand, there are people who worship Shakti. “We dedicated the success of the Chandrayaan mission by naming the point where Chandrayaan landed as ‘Shiv Shakti’” PM Modi added. 

#WATCH | Telangana: During his public address in Jagtial, PM Modi says, “Can someone talk about the destruction of ‘Shakti’?…We dedicated the success of the Chandrayaan mission by naming the point where Chandrayaan landed as ‘Shiv Shakti’…The fight is between those who want… pic.twitter.com/VJKksQtM2W
— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2024

Rahul Gandhi, speaking in Maharashtra on Sunday, expressed concerns about the functioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs), highlighting the opposition’s struggle against the power (shakti) of the state. “In Hinduism, there is a concept of ‘Shakti’. We are fighting against the might of the state. The crucial question is, what exactly does this power entail for us? It is evident that the essence and credibility of EVMs have been compromised for the benefit of the ruling authority (led by Modi). This is an undeniable reality. Not only EVMs, but every independent institution in the country, such as the ED, CBI, or Income Tax Department, has relinquished its autonomy to the central government,” Rahul stated during his speech in Mumbai.