New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi insults the Hindu culture but he doesn’t have the courage to use derogatory terms against other religions. Reacting to the controversy triggered by Gandhi’s ‘Shakti’ remark, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said the former is in sway of elements with Maoist and anti-Hindu thoughts.

“Rahul Gandhi insulted Hindu culture yesterday. We thought that he would realise his mistake. But even after a day, there have been no efforts to rectify the statement. His coterie spokespersons were looking for meaning in his remark and attempting to justify it…The Congress party under Rahul Gandhi is no more the Congress party imbued with the doctrine and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. This is a Congress party led by a divisive mind, Maoist thought and anti-Hindu thought,” Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

“Rahul Gandhi is completely in the sway of these elements…Rahul Gandhi, do you have the courage to speak in the same derogatory terms with regard to the fundamental principles of faith of other religious thoughts or gods?” he added.

On Sunday, Gandhi, during a rally in Maharashtra, raised concerns about EVMs.

Also read: Congress, INDIA bloc never speak against other religions, says PM Narendra Modi

“There is a word ‘Shakti’ (might) in Hinduism. We are fighting against a Shakti (might of the state). The question is, what is that, Shakti and what does it entail for us? The soul and integrity of EVMs have been traded to the King (Modi). This is a fact. Not just EVMs but every autonomous institution of the country, be it the ED, CBI or Income Tax Department, have traded their spines to the Centre,” he said in Mumbai.

The BJP on Monday claimed the remark was against Hinduism and that it reflected Rahul Gandhi’s misogynistic mindset.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also slammed Gandhi’s remarks.

Later on Monday, Gandhi claimed PM Modi twisted the meaning of his words.

“Modi ji does not like my words, he always tries to change their meaning by twisting them in some way or the other because he knows that I have spoken a deep truth. The power that I mentioned, the power that we are fighting, is the mask of that power, Modi ji. It is such a power that today has captured India’s voice, India’s institutions, CBI, IT, ED, Election Commission, media, Indian industry and the entire constitutional structure of India in its clutch,” he said.

He also clarified that the Shakti he was talking about wasn’t “a religious power of any kind”.

Also read: Priyanka defends Rahul Gandhi after attack by PM Modi over ‘Shakti’ row, says…

Today, at a rally in Tamil Nadu’s Salem, PM Modi said the INDIA bloc wants to destroy Shakti.

“The election campaign has started, but the INDI alliance’s plan came out in their first rally in Mumbai. Their manifesto and ill intentions have come out. At Shivaji Park in Mumbai, INDI alliance openly declared they will destroy Shakti which is faith. What does Shakti mean in Hinduism– everybody in Tamil Nadu knows that,” he added.

PM Modi said the INDIA bloc deliberately insulted the Hindu faith.

“The INDI alliance doesn’t target any other faith, doesn’t speak a word against others, but won’t waste a second in abusing Hinduism,” he added.

With inputs from ANI