Rahul, Oppn to face Bihar poll hit for insulting Chhath Maiya, PM Modi: Shah

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi has insulted all devotees of 'Chhath Maiya' by calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's devotion for the goddess a drama, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said, asserting that the Congress leader and Mahagathbandhan will have to suffer major consequences in the upcoming Bihar polls.

He said the entire country prays to 'Chhath maiya', offers 'Arghya' with devotion and also accepts 'prasad' on the day of the Chhath festival. "Rahul ji, while opposing Modi ji in the elections and insulting him, ended up insulting Chhath maiya. He is not aware of this," Shah said in an interview to News18 India.

Unleashing a no-holds-barred attack on Modi, Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the prime minister would do anything, even dance, for votes if asked by electors.

Addressing a poll rally in Bihar, the Congress leader also remarked, "If Modi ji wants to do drama, wants to do drama of Chhath Puja, then water will come, video cameras will come."

Replying to a question on Gandhi's remarks, Shah said, "If Modi ji respects the festival of Chhath and he (Rahul Gandhi) finds it 'nautanki' (drama), then Rahul ji is not insulting Modi ji. Rahul ji has insulted all the devotees of Chhath Maiya, Bihar and the entire Purvanchalis. And I believe that he will have to suffer big consequences for this in the Bihar elections."

People from Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand are referred to as Purvanchalis.

Shah said every time the Congress has stooped to a low to insult Modi, Lotus (BJP's symbol) has bloomed from that mud very well.

"The voters of Bihar will not forget this insult of both Chhath maiya and Narendra Modi ji. The UPA gathbandhan (alliance) will have to face its consequences on the day of polling," he said.

"This isn't the first time Modi ji has been insulted. There have been many such instances, Congress has said many things about Modi ji, stooping to a low. I can't even repeat them. They even tried to insult his mother," he added.

Replying to other questions, Shah asserted that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will secure a two-thirds majority in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections and form its government under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Modi.

"There is no vacancy for the CM's post in Bihar; Nitish Kumar is the CM. There is no confusion," Shah said, dismissing rumours about the chief minister's health.

Shah described a clear "NDA wave" in the state and predicted an "unprecedented increase" in the number of seats won by the coalition this election cycle.

Highlighting the achievements of the NDA in Bihar, he credited the 11-year "double-engine government" with bringing major transformations in governance, infrastructure and welfare delivery, in contrast to previous administrations led by Nitish Kumar and the BJP.

In the past 11 years, 8.52 crore people have received five kilograms of free food grains, and 6.6 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened under the central government's welfare initiatives.

"Nitish Kumar has pulled Bihar out of jungle raj in the past 11 years," Shah said, highlighting the transformation under the double-engine government.