NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asking it to first decide between the two different slogans given by its leaders Prime Minister Narendra Modi — ‘Ek hai toh safe hai‘, and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath — ‘Batenge toh katenge‘.
Addressing a press conference in Nagpur city of Maharashtra, where assembly elections will be held on November 20, Kharge asked the BJP to decide between Yogi Adityanath’s ‘divisive’ slogan and PM Modi’s unity message.
Also read: ‘Ek hai toh safe hai’, says PM Modi in his new pitch after Yogi Adityanath’s ‘batenge toh katenge’ slogan
“First, you decide between yourselves whose slogan is to be followed – Yogi ji’s or Modi ji’s,” he said. “BJP leaders give inciting speeches and speak lies and divert people’s attention from core issues,” Kharge added.
The Congress chief also countered UP CM’s ‘batenge toh katenge‘ slogan by asserting that several leaders from his party have laid down their lives to unite the country. Those who want the country to remain united will never pass such divisive remarks, he said.
“You only divide but blame others. You say ‘batenge toh katenge‘. Those who want the country to remain united will never say such divisive slogans,” he said.
A day earlier, PM Modi gave a new pitch in Maharashtra — ‘Ek hai toh safe hai‘ (We are safe, only if united) while accusing Congress of pitting one caste against another.
“The sole agenda of the Congress party is to make one caste fight against another. They do not want SCs, STs and OBCs to progress and get their due recognition … Remember, ‘Ek hai toh safe hai‘,” he had said.
PM’ new slogan came amid row over Yogi Adityanath’s ‘batenge toh katenge‘ pitch. The expression was first used by the UP CM at a rally in Agra in the backdrop of Hindu minorities being subjected to violence in Bangladesh.
Also read: Kharge accuses BJP of ‘rotten thoughts’ and conspiracy in Jharkhand
Later, PM Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also made similar pitches for Hindu unity later. During his annual Vijaya Dashami speech this year, Bhagwat said that “being unorganised and weak is like inviting atrocities by the wicked”.
Yogi Adityanath had also repeated the slogan during an election rally in Maharashtra while campaigning for ruling-Mahayuti.