MUZAFFARPUR(Bihar), Oct 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a sharp counterattack against the Congress-RJD alliance, accusing its leaders of insulting the revered Chhath festival and the devotion of Bihar’s people. Speaking at an election rally in Muzaffarpur, Modi said that “Bihar will not forgive them for centuries” for mocking ‘Chhathi Maiyya’, a deity worshipped by millions during the festival.
His remarks came a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that Modi had planned a “drama” by pretending to take a dip in the Yamuna River on Chhath Puja, but cancelled when it was revealed the water was “piped and clean” instead of from the polluted river.
“It is my first tour of Bihar after Chhath Puja, a festival now famous across the world,” Modi told the crowd. “Chhath stands for devotion and equality — that’s why my government is trying to get a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tag for it. But while this son of yours is busy ensuring Chhath gets the honour it deserves, the Congress-RJD people are heaping scorn on it, calling it a drama, a nautanki.”
The prime minister added a personal touch, recalling that he often listens to Chhath songs while travelling. “I was once moved to hear a Chhath song sung by a girl from Nagaland. That is the cultural power of this festival,” he said.
Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi accused the opposition of “stooping to new lows for votes”. “Look at the depths they can fall to just to insult your faith,” he said. “This is not just an attack on me — it’s an insult to every devotee of Chhathi Maiyya.”
Modi also tore into the Congress-RJD alliance, calling it an “opportunistic partnership like water and oil — they cannot mix, but they can loot together.” He said that the two parties were bound only by their “greed for power” and “record of misrule”.
“The biggest news in this election is not that they are abusing me,” he said. “The biggest news is that the Congress and RJD are fighting among themselves even as allies. Their greed has exposed them.”
Invoking B.R. Ambedkar, Modi accused both parties of disrespecting the architect of India’s Constitution. “They cannot tolerate that a man from a backward class, who once sold tea, is now leading the country. But I owe my rise not to their blessings, but to the people’s faith and Ambedkar’s Constitution,” he said.
Modi claimed that surveys were predicting a massive victory for the NDA and that the opposition alliance was facing its “worst-ever defeat”. He dismissed their election promises as “unrealistic” and aimed at misleading voters.
“The RJD-Congress alliance stands for five Ks — katta (illegal guns), kroorta (cruelty), katuta (social bitterness), kushasan (misgovernance), and corruption,” he said, adding that “their rallies play songs glorifying guns, knives, and kidnappings.”
Referring to Bihar’s crime-ridden past, Modi said: “During the RJD rule, there were 35,000 to 40,000 kidnappings. Goons would loot vehicle showrooms and terrorise people. The NDA represents development and dignity, not darkness.”
Striking a local chord, Modi greeted the crowd in Vajjika dialect, praising the sweetness of the local speech and the fame of Muzaffarpur’s ‘shahi litchi’. He also invoked the legacy of freedom fighter Khudiram Bose and writers Ram Vriksh Benipuri and Janaki Vallabh Shastri.
Ending his speech with chants of “Phir ek baar NDA sarkar, phir ek baar susashan sarkar” (NDA government again, good governance again), Modi said his party’s campaign was about “faith, pride, and progress for Bihar.”
He also took a swipe at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav over the ‘land-for-jobs’ scam, and referenced the 2001 Golu kidnapping and murder case, saying, “Bihar remembers those dark days. Never again.”
“The NDA stands for preserving our traditions and ensuring development for all. Those who insult our festivals and faith will get their answer at the ballot box,” Modi declared.