PM Modi Slams Congress, Claims 'Hanuman Chalisa a Crime' Under Its Rule

PM Modi accused Congress of treating 'Hanuman Chalisa' chanting as a crime, citing an alleged assault on a Karnataka shopkeeper. He challenged Congress to accept their "policy" and claimed they banned Ram Navami in Rajasthan.

Addressing an election campaign in the city of Tonk-Sawai Madhopur on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharply criticized the Congress party saying that during its regime chanting of 'Hanuman Chalisa' was considered a crime.

It seems that PM Modi talked about the incident of a shopkeeper who was assaulted by a Congress-ruled Karnataka person for playing 'Hanuman Chalisa'. PM Modi said, "In the era of Congress rule even hearing to 'Hanuman Chalisa' becomes a crime. A few days back a shopkeeper from Congress-ruled Karnataka was brutally beaten."

In addition, the Prime Minister argued that the Congress Party in Rajasthan state had banned the celebrations of Ram Navami events in the state before. "Rajasthan has never been the actual sufferer...Ram Navami was for the first time in Rajasthan celebrated through a Shobha Yatra procession...In a state like Rajasthan where people sing Ram-Ram, Congress had banned Ram Navami," he said.

Mr Modi's comment came at the back of the controversy on his earlier declaration that the Congress had promised to take away people's hard-earned wealth and give them to Muslims. The Opposition has labeled this statement as hate speech.

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In response to his earlier remark, PM Modi pondered why the Congress was scared of the truth and put to a challenge of owning their policy openly. "If you are brave enough to accept it, we are willing to face you," he said raising the finger in direction of the Congress and the INDIA opposition alliance who are said to be panicking from this declaration.

The Prime Minister's remarks have not only escalated the political rhetoric in the ongoing election campaign but also the opposition and ruling parties have blamed each over other for religious issues.