On Sunday, March 17, a big opposition rally was held in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park to mark the culmination of Rahul Gandhi’s nationwide ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’. The rally was attended by top opposition leaders including M K Stalin, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Mallikarjun Kharge, Tejashwi Yadav, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and others. All of them called for opposition unity, but one remark by Rahul Gandhi at the rally caused a big controversy. Rahul Gandhi said, “there is a word ‘Shakti’ in Hindu Dharma, and we are fighting against this Shakti”. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing rallies in Jagtial (Telangana) and Shivmogga (Karnataka) lashed out, saying , “Mothers and sisters, I worship you as Shakti. I am Bharat Mata’s pujari (worshipper)..Can anyone talk about destroying Shakti on Indian soil? I will put my life at stake to protect Nari Shakti….People must give the opposition a befitting response for talking about destroying “Shiv Shakti’ to which India had recently dedicated the success of its Chandrayaan lunar mission…The elections will be a defining battle between those who worship Shakti as a manifestation of female divinity and people seeking to destroy it.” Modi said, “INDI alliance’s objective is now clear, it wants to put an end to the Shakti of Sanatan dharma.” In Shivmogga, Modi said, “what was said at Shivaji Park might have surely hurt the soul of Late Balasaheb Thackeray, the founder of Shiv Sena….BJP always considers women as its silent voters…. for us, women are not only voters, they are the incarnation of Shakti, our Suraksha Kavach (shield of security)”. By afternoon, Congress leaders were running for cover as they realized that Rahul Gandhi’s mistake could cost the party heavily. In his tweet, Rahul Gandhi clarified saying that “Modi always distorts my words, since I speak the truth….My reference to Shakti was to the power of evil, corruption and lies, of which Modi is the mask and slave….The shakti that the opposition is fighting is the one which has taken in its clutches the entire constitutional framework – the voice of India, our institutions, ED, CBI, income tax department, election commission, media and the corporate world… The mask of that power is Shakti….I did not speak about religious shakti, but one of evil.” The fact is, Rahul Gandhi at the Mumbai rally did say these words: “There is a word Shakti in Hindu dharma, and we are fighting against this Shakti.” Even after this clarification, Congress leaders have realized that Rahul has scored a self-goal and he and his associates are trying to cover it up now. Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Digvijaya Singh said, “there are two types of Shakti – Divine Power and Evil Power, and Rahul was referring to “Asuri Shakti” (evil power).” Acharya Pramod Krishnam, who left Congress recently said, “most of the time Rahul does not know what he is saying and why? He is given a script to read, and then he says anything. Anyway, Rahul must now clarify whether his fight is against BJP or against Hindu Dharma?” It is a fact that Rahul commits a blunder after every few days embarrassing his party leaders, who then try to iron out issues. One Congress leader said, what can we do? If Rahul Gandhi gives a full toss, naturally Modi will hit a sixer. Sometimes, he says ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’, sometimes it is said ‘Modi has no family’, and now he said, ‘our fight is against Hindu Shakti’. These are points which give Modi a handle to hit back. Narendra Modi is a great campaigner, and he never leaves any chance. The latest development is: crowds are turning out in the streets of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to see and hear Modi. Congress and its allies consider South India as their domain, where BJP normally does not win many seats, but Modi is trying his best to turn the tables.