Modi silent on Sabarimala, indifferent to religion, claims Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that his silence on the Sabarimala issue during a recent Kerala visit indicated a tacit understanding between the BJP and the Left.

Addressing an election rally in Adoor ahead of the 9 April assembly polls, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha claimed that the Congress-led UDF was effectively fighting a “combination” of the CPI(M)-led LDF and the BJP.

“We are fighting an election against the LDF, which is fully supported by the BJP. On one side is the UDF and on the other is a CPI(M)-BJP combination,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi alleged the presence of a “hidden hand” of the BJP in Kerala politics, arguing that the party does not want the Congress to gain ground in the state as it remains its principal ideological rival at the national level. He reiterated that the Congress has a fundamental ideological battle with the BJP and the RSS.

He also claimed selective use of central agencies against opposition leaders, saying he himself had faced multiple cases and prolonged questioning, while no similar action was taken against LDF leaders or the Kerala chief minister.

Referring to Modi’s speech in Palakkad a day earlier, Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister, who often speaks about religion and temples, made no mention of the Sabarimala Temple or issues concerning devotees of Lord Ayyappa.

“He forgot to speak about Sabarimala… This shows that BJP and LDF are working together,” Rahul Gandhi alleged.

He further accused Modi of raising religious issues only when it suits electoral interests. “If it brings votes, he will speak about temples. Otherwise, he will remain silent,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi asserted that if voted to power, the UDF would hold accountable those responsible for alleged irregularities related to the temple issue.

With PTI inputs