'Why did you name betting app after Lord Mahadev?': Shah attacks Baghel

Hitting out at the state Chief Minister Baghel, Shah said that the Congress leader insulted the Lord Shiva

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday questioned Bhupesh Baghel over selecting the name of Mahadev for betting and compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi's approach of designating the country's successful lunar mission's landing site after Lord Shiv.

The Union Home Minister addressing an election rally in the poll-bound state said that the Baghel-led government has transformed the Durg division from an education center to a center of betting.

"Bhupesh Kakka's government has ruined the Durg division. During the Raman Singh government, this division remained the center of education, youth from all over the state used to come here to get education. But this government has turned this center of education into a center of betting," Shah said during his address in Janjgir-Champa.

Hitting out at the state Chief Minister Baghel, who is facing heat after the Enforcement Directorate claimed that he was allegedly paid Rs 508 crore by the promoters of a betting app, Mahadev, Shah said that the Congress leader insulted the Lord Shiva.

"If you wanted to do betting, you would have kept your name, why did you choose (Lord) Mahadev's name? On one hand, PM Modi named the Chandrayaan-3 landing site as Shiv Shakti, Baghel named a betting app after Lord Mahadev," Shah said, adding that the countdown for Baghel's government has started.

Polling for the 20 seats of the 90-member Chhattisgarh Assembly was held on November 7 in the first phase, while the remaining 70 seats will go for polling on Friday. The counting of votes will be done on December 3.

"Bhupesh Baghel has been wiped out in the first phase. The first phase itself has decided that BJP government is going to be formed in Chhattisgarh," the BJP's heavyweight said.

He also said that the Congress party stalled the construction of Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya for 70 years. "Modi laid the foundation stone of the Ram Temple and the consecration ceremony is also going to be held on January 22, 2024," he said further.

Later, the Union minister held a public gathering in Korba, where he said that the state is set to celebrate the Diwali festival thrice in the coming months-- on the day of Diwali which was on Sunday, on the day of the state poll results, and when the temple consecration ceremony is scheduled in Ayodhya.