BHOPAL: Four days after offering prayers at Omkareshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the Mahakal Temple, another jyotirlinga site, in Ujjain
on Tuesday.
Addressing a public meeting after performing rituals at the temple, Rahul spoke about the concept of tapasya. “This is a country where tapasvis (hermits) are worshipped. I have been doing tapasya for the last three months,” he said, referring to his Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“But my tapasya is too small in front of the real tapasvis the farmers and workers who do tapasya till the last breath. The real tapasvis are the migrant labourers who were seen in all corners of the country during the pandemic, who work throughout their life,” he said.
“But none of them is getting what they should get from the government. The farmers aren’t getting fertilisers, or if they get it, it comes at high prices. They don’t get the right prices for their produce nor are they getting compensation from insurance companies for damaged crops, despite paying full premium,” Rahul said.
Intensifying his attack on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Wayanad MP said, “So who is actually getting the phal (fruits) of tapasya? It’s two individuals, who do tapasya of Narendra Modi day and night, who are getting whatever they want from the government. Spanning from railways and airports to roads, electricity and water, they are getting whatever they want.”
Speaking at the gathering, state Congress chief and former CM Kamal Nath recounted how his government was brought down in 15 months in March 2020. “My elected government was pulled down through a deal. I was the chief minister and I too could have struck a deal, but I decided not to make such deals the identity of MP,” Nath said.