Nadda alleges Congress agenda to 'abuse and disrespect' Sanatan Dharma, also slams INDIA

BJP president JP Nadda on Friday hit out at opposition alliance INDIA and claimed the agenda of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, top leaders of its key constituent Congress, was to ''abuse and disrespect'' Sanatan Dharma.

Addressing a rally at Jashpur in north Chhattisgarh held to flag off the second 'Parivartan Yatra' of the opposition BJP ahead of assembly polls, he also targeted Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and asked him to clarify his stand on anti-Sanatan Dharma remarks made by Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, whose party DMK is a member of INDIA.

"Indi alliance... ghamandiya (arrogant) alliance held a meeting in Mumbai on September 1. On September 3, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin's son Udhayanidhi Stalin, whose party DMK is a key partner of the alliance, disrespected Sanatan Dharma by linking it with serious diseases. He left no stone unturned in disrespecting Sanatan Dharma in every way," Nadda said.

The next day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son, who is a minister in the Karnataka government, attacked Sanatan Dharma and subsequently another minister from Tamil Nadu, too, targeted the ancient faith, he said.

''What should we understand from this? Sonia Gandhi is silent till today on the issue. Rahul goes all over the world and talks about the Constitution, but avoids saying even a single word on it (Sanatan issue)," said the BJP president.

''My allegation is that the mother-son duo handed over the agenda abusing and disrespecting Santana Dharma in the Mumbai meeting to the DMK and other parties (of INDIA). Actually, it is the agenda of Sonia and Rahul,'' he said, attacking the two senior Congress leaders.

The BJP chief sought to know if the Constitution has given right to anyone to disrespect a religion.

''Is it written in the Constitution that any religion, any idea, any belief should be abused or has the Constitution given right to disrespect any religion? You (Rahul) say that you run 'mohabbat ki dukan' (shop of love), but hatred is being sold in your shop,'' Nadda said.

He also slammed Chief Minister Baghel, a senior Congress leader, for skipping the G20 dinner hosted by the President on September 9 in New Delhi during the summit of the influential global forum.

The BJP's Parivartan Yatra is aimed at exposing corruption of the Baghel government and removing the Congress from power in the state, Nadda said.

In 2014, when the BJP came to power at the Centre, 92 per cent of the mobile phones (used in India) were manufactured in China, but now 97 per cent of such devices, including Apple, are being made in the country, Nadda said, highlighting achievements of the Modi government.

Hailing the success of the G20 summit held in New Delhi, he said Bharat is now no more a 'pichhlaggu' (follower) of other countries.

Rather Bharat is now giving the message of marching ahead to the world under leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP leader said.