On Sunday (17th March), Congress scion Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ concluded with a rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, which came a day after the Lok Sabha elections were announced.
Referring to Hinduism, he spoke about Shakti (losely translates to energy) and attributed the word to the Central Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul Gandhi said that he wants to fight this Shakti.
Notably, Shakti is considered to be The Divine Feminine which is the energy present in all beings. In Hinduism, there is no concept of fighting against Shakti, instead, Shakti is what helps fight against evil.
“There is a word ‘Shakti’ in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti. The question is, what is that Shakti? The soul of the King is in the EVM. This true. The soul of the King in the EVM and every institution of the country, in ED, CBI and Income Tax department. A senior leader from Maharashtra left Congress and cried in front of my mother and said ‘Sonia ji, I am ashamed that I don’t have the power to fight this Shakti. I do not want to go to jail.’ Thousands of people have been threatened like this,” Rahul Gandhi said in a shocking distortion of the meaning and value of the concept of Shakti.
#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: At the conclusion ceremony of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says, "There is a word 'Shakti' in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti. The question is, what is that Shakti. The soul of the King is in the EVM. This… pic.twitter.com/lL9h9W0sRf
— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2024
He added, “What do you think? People left Shiv Sena and the NCP just like that? No. The Shakti I am talking about grabbed them by their throats and turned towards the BJP. And all of them have gone there out of fear.”
Netizens have been calling out Rahul Gandhi for this bizarre interpretation. The BJP too has called out the INDI bloc’s repeated insult to Hinduism.
Taking to X, BJP leader Amit Malviya wrote, “After DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin called for the annihilation of Sanatan Dharma, it is now Rahul Gandhi’s turn to denigrate Shakti. Maa Durga embodies the diverse aspects of Shakti, or power, known by various names like Sati, Parvati, Uma, Durga, Kali, Gauri, Tripura Sundari, Shivangi, Mahadevi, and more. She is considered the primal power (adi shakti) of the Lord, responsible for creation, sustenance, and destruction. As the creative power (shrishti shakti) of Brahma, the sustaining power (paalan shakti) of Vishnu, and the destruction force (samhaar shakti) of Lord Shiva, she is revered as the mother figure in Hindu belief. Shakti also signifies women empowerment.”
“But Rahul Gandhi speaks of fighting Shakti. He is not just Hinduphobic but also a misogynist. This is the true character of Congress led I.N.D.I Alliance,” Malviya wrote.
After DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin called for the annihilation of Sanatan Dharma, it is now Rahul Gandhi’s turn to denigrate Shakti.
— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) March 17, 2024
Maa Durga embodies the diverse aspects of Shakti, or power, known by various names like Sati, Parvati, Uma, Durga, Kali, Gauri, Tripura Sundari,… pic.twitter.com/tOQzRMMsqs
Sanjeev Sanyal wrote, “List of those who have fought Shakti before – Shumbha, Nishumbha, Raktabeeja, Chanda, Munda, Mahishasura and……,” as he linked Rahul Gandhi’s address in his tweet.
List of those who have fought Shakti before:
— Sanjeev Sanyal (@sanjeevsanyal) March 17, 2024
Shumbha
Nishumbha
Raktabeeja
Chanda
Munda
Mahishasura
and……. https://t.co/XwONiL3i2J
X user SubbuS wrote, “You don’t fight against Shakti in Hinduism, you fight against evil with Shakti on your side. Don’t learn Hinduism from missionaries!”
You don't fight against Shakti in Hinduism, you fight against evil with Shakti on your side.
— SubbuS (@Subbu_06) March 17, 2024
don't learn Hinduism from missionaries!
Another X handle The Bulls Head posted, “Shakti means Durga. Does he realise what he is talking about? Is he fighting against Shakti? Fir bolega kyu jeet nahi rahe. (He will ask later why he is not winning.)”
Shakti means Durga. Does he realize what he is talking about? Is he fighting against Shakti? Fir bolega kyu jeet nahi rahe.
— THE BULLS HEAD (@_The_Bulls_Eye_) March 17, 2024
Satyanarayan Rao Adiraju posted, “For the benefit of those who missed the Gems of Rahul, the Yuvraj of the Congress said in Mumbai that there is something called Shakti in Hinduism and his fight is not against Narendra Modi or the BJP but against that Shakti. Poor chap seems to be unaware that Narendra Modi is the Upasak of that Shakti and no power in the universe can defeat Shakti because Shakti is that form of Kali, Durga and Uma to which even the Hindu Trinity pray. That’s the power given to Nari Shakti in the Sanatana Dharma and Congress says it’s fight is against that Shakti of Hinduism.”
For the benefit of those who missed the Gems of Rahul, the Yuvraj of the Congress said in Mumbai that there is something called Shakti in Hinduism and his fight is not against Narendra Modi or the BJP but against that Shakti.
— Satyanarayana Rao Adiraju, VU2SAX (@satyajgd) March 18, 2024
Poor chap seems to be unaware that Narendra Modi is… pic.twitter.com/aob71JGwHb
He added, “Now even a small kid in following Sanatana Dharma knows who stands against Shakti and what was the fate of the Rakshasas who stood against Shakti with an illusion to defeat and in the process they got annihilated. This looks to be a statement to please his dear friend Stalin who was not only present in the dias but also gave him a warm hug and probably the Yuvraj of Congress wanted to please the as the Yuvraj of DMK who said Santana Dharma is like Aids and Leprosy which needs to be eradicated. So it’s for the wise voters to decide if they wish to give a vote in favour of those with whom the blessings and power of Shakti stand or in favour of those who are standing against Shakti.”
Another X user ChronicallyCritical wrote, “Why does this man talk about Hinduism when he knows nothing. From ridiculously using “pandavs” to criticise GST & demonetisation to now “fighting against Shakti.” “Shakti” is the feminine generative power, the consort of bhagwan Shiva, in sanatana. This man is a disgrace.”
Why does this man talk about Hinduism when he knows nothing. From ridiculously using "pandavs" to criticise GST & demonetisation to now "fighting against Shakti."
— chronicallycritical (@chrotical) March 17, 2024
"Shakti" is the feminine generative power, the consort of bhagwan Shiva, in sanatana.
This man is a disgrace.
Punita Toraskar posted, “Rahul Gandhi, in Hinduism, it is said that without Shakti even Shiva becomes Shava. In 2014 you were harping about women’s empowerment and today you say this. Your HATE for HINDUS is going to consume you SOONER not LATER.”
Abbey @RahulGandhi Hindu Dharma mein kaha jaata hai SHAKTI KE BINA SHIV SHAV HAI .
— Punita Toraskar ( Modi Ka Parivaar) (@impuni) March 17, 2024
In 2014 you were harping about women empowerment and today you say this .
Your HATE for HINDUS is going to consume you SOONER not LATER
When a Christian priest already told Rahul Gandhi that Shakti is not a real deity
Rahul Gandhi held the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in 2023. During this Yatra, he met a controversial Catholic priest George Ponnaiah in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. A video clip of his conversation with the pastor had gone viral at the time. In this clip, the pastor was seen preaching Christianity to Rahul Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi asked George Ponnaiah, “Jesus Christ is a form of God? Is that right?” To this, the priest answered, “He is the real God. God reveals him(self) as a man, a real person…not like Shakti…so we see a human person.” Now Rahul Gandhi has used the Hindu concept of Shakti to put forth as a negative attribute to the central government and PM Narendra Modi, and said that he is fighting against the Shakti.
This is just one example of the several times that Rahul Gandhi has made bizarre, distorted and insulting statements against Hinduism.
