Rajasthan elections: I'm a small 'kaamdar' to know all about Hinduism, PM Modi's retort to Rahul Gandhi

JODHPUR: Launching a stinging attack on Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said a 'naamdar' (dynast) was claiming to know all about Hinduism when even saints and seers don't make such claims and he was just a "small kaamdar" (worker). Continuing with his attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family, Modi at an election rally here also alleged that the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru did nothing for restoration of Somnath Temple but had objected to the then president Rajendra Prasad's visit to the shrine after it got reconstructed by Sardar Patel despite protests. In poll-bound Rajasthan that will vote on December 7, Modi also referred to Nehru wearing a rose on his jacket, saying he knew about rose and the gardens but not about the farming because of which the farmer community had to face the hardships. He said the Congress needed to give an account of the rule by four generations of the Gandhi family. Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, the prime minister said he is a small "kaamdar" (worker) who never claimed to have full knowledge of Hinduism but the "naamdar" (dynast) was doing so. Modi often refers to the Congress president as a "naamdar". Recently, Gandhi had said in Udaipur that the "prime minister says he is a Hindu, but he doesn't understand (the) foundation of Hinduism. What kind of a Hindu is he?" Referring to Gandhi's statement, Modi asked people if they will vote on the basis of knowledge of the religion or on the basis of development of the state. He further said Hinduism and Hindutva are ancient ideologies that are so rich with knowledge and culture that he can never know the entire thing. "Even the saints and seers don't claim that they know completely about Hindutva. Only 'naamdar' can claim that but not a small 'kaamdar' like me," Modi said. Stating that the country is today celebrating its first president's 134th birth anniversary, Modi alleged Nehru had objected to Prasad's visit for the consecration of Somnath temple, which was destroyed by foreign invaders and renovated by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. "At the time when Sardar Patel had shown determination for restoring the Somnath Temple in Gujarat, I want to ask what action was taken by the first prime minister of the country. After Patel restored the temple despite protest, then prime minister strongly objected to first president Rajendra Prasad's visit to Gujarat," Modi said. "He (Nehru) used to wear rose and had the knowledge of gardens but did not know about farmers or farming, due to which the community faced hardship," Modi said without naming the first prime minister. He alleged that the Congress has become a university for spreading lies and those who lie more get new posts in the party. Rahul Gandhi, he asserted, has great capacity for speaking lies. "The Congress' dreams have been crushed in all states. This will happen in Rajasthan also," he said. The opposition party thinks it can come to power because of the trend in Rajasthan of alternate parties forming the government but this will be proved wrong in the upcoming state elections, Modi said. "If the Congress believes that they will win this election on the basis of lies, they are highly mistaken. They were thrown out from other states, they will face the same fate here also," he said. He accused the Congress of crumbling Mahatma Gandhi's dream of cleanliness even after ruling the country for decades. "The Congress ruled the country for decades but we never heard them taking the issue of cleanliness. They crumbled Mahatma Gandhi's dreams. "They forgot him (Mahatma Gandhi) as they knew that if 'fakir Gandhi' will be remembered in the country, who will recall this 'naamdar Gandhi," Modi said. The prime minister said the more the rivals indulge in mud-slinging, the more the lotus (BJP's election symbol) will bloom. "Rajasthan will not accept the Congress' lies... If the Congress believes that people will pawn the state for five years then that era is over now," he said. He said those talking about Hindutva will have to be accountable for the rule of four generations of one family. "People in the Congress believe that they don't have to do anything in politics and talking about development is senseless. They work to set their caste equations right and manage contractors of votes to keep themselves going," he said. Modi alleged that the Congress protected "those who did unfair work or looted the ex-chequer". We have made a strict law for those who were not returning banks' money and Rs 3 lakh crore was deposited in banks, the prime minister asserted.