Remembering 'Shakti': Why PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi are talking about it

Stating that he considers every mother, daughter, and sister, as well as 'Bharat Mata' as 'Shakti', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he accepts Congress' challenge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on March 18, reacted to Rahul Gandhi's 'shakti' comment and asked how anyone could talk about destroying 'shakti'.

Addressing a public rally in Telangana, PM Modi criticised the Congress leader, saying he worships 'shakti' and that, to him, all the women of the country are an embodiment of 'shakti', giving a religious colour to Gandhi's remarks. 

"The INDI alliance, in its manifesto, said that it fights against 'Shakti'. For me, every mother, daughter, and sister is a form of 'Shakti'," he said. The PM further added, "I worship them in the form of 'Shakti'. I am the worshipper of Bharat Mata. Their manifesto is to finish 'Shakti', and I accept the challenge… Main jaan ki baazi laga dunga (I’ll put my life on the line),” he said.
 

Appealing to the voters in Telangana, the Prime Minister said that the Congress and BRS will be wiped out in the upcoming elections. "As the voting day nears there is a BJP wave in Telangana while Congress and BRS will get cleaned up," he added.

The controversy erupted after the Congress leader's remarks a day after the Election Commission announced the 2024 Lok Sabha elections schedule. At the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra's conclusion ceremony, Rahul Gandhi said that his party and the entire opposition are fighting against a 'Shakti'.

"There is a word 'Shakti' in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti. The question is, what is that Shakti. The soul of the King is in the EVM. This is true. The soul of the King is in the EVM and every institution of the country, in ED, CBI and Income Tax department," he said.

Soon after, a war of words emerged between the BJP and Congress. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla had accused the Congress MP of expressing "misogynistic" views. "Congress Party has a long history of Hindu hatred, from denying the existence of Lord Ram to making the statement about Shakti… Today, this is not just an insult to the Hindu faith but shows the misogynistic mindset of Rahul Gandhi, who is against NariShakti and its manifestation," he had said.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Nalin Kohli had slammed Gandhi's comments as an insult to the electorates of India.

"They (Congress) are unable to digest the fact that the vote is not coming their way and hence they keep insulting the voters by speaking against the EVMs," Kohli said.

In Hindu religion, 'Shakti' is a common usage for the word 'power' and is assumed to denote the ferocious and creative feminine power. It is representative of the divine feminine, usually associated with the mother goddess. According to the Hindu tradition, Shakti is responsible for the universe's creation, maintenance, and destruction.