PM Modi slams Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhath drama' dig, hits back with Unesco pitch
PM Modi slams Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhath drama' dig, hits back with Unesco pitch
M.U.H
30/10/202532
Addressing a massive rally in Muzaffarpur, his first public meeting after the Chhath Puja, Prime Minister Modi launched a blistering attack on the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), accusing them of “insulting Chhathi Maiyya” and disrespecting the deep-rooted cultural traditions of Bihar.
“Congress and RJD are insulting Chhathi Maiyya. Can anyone insult Chhathi Maiyya for votes in the election? Will the people of Bihar and the country tolerate this?” Modi asked, as the crowd responded with chants in support.
"People of Bihar would never forgive such an affront to their faith," he added.
He further pressed on the devotion and endurance of women who observe the festival and said, “The women who observe such a long fast without water, who stand in the Ganga Ji and offer arghya to Surya Dev, in the eyes of RJD-Congress, they are doing a drama. Will the mothers and sisters of Bihar tolerate this insult to Chhathi Maiyya? I know that no person from Bihar can forget this insult.”
The Prime Minister also announced that his government is working to secure UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage status for Chhath Mahaparva, calling it a festival that embodies “purity, discipline, and devotion.”
Taking the attack further, Modi characterised the RJD-Congress alliance as being defined by “five Ks” — Katta (gun), Kroorta (cruelty), Katuta (bitterness), Kushasan (misgovernance), and Corruption.
“Where there is katta, where cruelty reigns, there the law breaks down,” he said, invoking the memory of Bihar’s crime-ridden past under RJD rule.
PM Modi's came a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi kicked off his party’s Bihar campaign with a fierce attack on Modi, accusing him of “doing anything for votes.” Addressing a joint rally with RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav in the same city, Gandhi had mocked the Prime Minister’s symbolic dip during Chhath Puja.
“If you tell Narendra Modi to dance in exchange for your votes, he will dance on stage,” Gandhi said, alleging that Modi’s connection with the festival was merely performative. “Narendra Modi went to bathe in his swimming pool. He has nothing to do with the Yamuna. He has nothing to do with Chhath Puja. He just wants your vote.”
With just a week left for the high-stakes Bihar Assembly elections, the exchange over Chhath Puja — a festival that holds immense emotional and cultural significance in the state — has become a central flashpoint. Modi’s framing of the debate around “faith and respect” versus “mockery and insult” appears aimed at consolidating the BJP’s appeal among women and traditional voters deeply attached to Bihar’s cultural identity.
