Congress seeks to beat BJP at its Hindutva game in MP

Grand old party draws plan to hold Hindu religious events

THE CONGRESS will hold a Rudrabhishek yagna, Sunderkand and other Hindu religious events in 230 Assembly constituencies in the coming days

OVER 30 major religious events have been organised by the party in different parts of the state in the last two years

The Congress in Madhya Pradesh planning to take the “Hindutva route” to counter any attempt by the BJP to play the Hindu card in the state’s year-end Assembly elections.

The dharma and festival wing of the Congress party has lined up several programmes to hold Hindu religious events, such as “Rudrabhishek yagna”, recital of “Sunderkand” and Hanuman Chalisa and “Raslila” (narrating the life of Lord Krishna) festivals across Madhya Pradesh in coming five months leading to the assembly elections in the state, due in November this year.

“The party is going to organise a Rudrabhishek yagna, Sunderkand and other Hindu religious events at many places in each of the 230 Assembly constituencies in the coming days. The programmes will be held in at least 108 places in each Assembly constituency in coming months,” head of dharma and festival wing Richa Goswami said on Tuesday.

The dharma and festival wing of the state party was set up two years ago by the state Congress president and former chief minister Kamal Nath to sponsor Hindu festivals in the state to project a proHindu image of the party.

“More than 30 major Hindu religious programmes have been organised by the party in different parts of the state in the last two years,” Ms Goswami said.

The local party leaders and MLAs have also been asked by the state Congress leadership to sponsor Hindu festivals regularly in their respective areas under the banner of the party to project a pro-Hindu image of the party.

In fact, a campaign has already been launched by the party leaders, close to Mr Nath, to project him as a staunch devotee of Lord Hanuman.

The ruling BJP has taken potshots at the move by Congress to hold Hindu religious events ahead of polls.

“Congress is pursuing ‘election Hindutva’ to misguide people to get their votes. But, people are yet to forget the move in the recent past by Congress to question the existence of Lord Ram”, BJP spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi said.