'I didn't hear..': Congress neta takes U-turn as row over 'Bharat Mata' chants intensifies

Hours after Rajasthan Congress leader Aradhana Mishra found herself entangled in a controversy over “Bharat Mata Ji” chants, the legislator representing the grand old party took a U-turn and stated that she did not stop her party workers from raising Bharat Mata Ki slogans and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of framing baseless allegations against her.

The development came after Mishra, Congress party's observer in the poll-bound Rajasthan, evoked criticism from the saffron camp after she reportedly asked her party workers to refrain from chanting "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and instead encouraged them to chant pro-Congress slogans during a party meeting in Jaipur.

In an exclusive statement to Republic Media Network, the Congress legislator refused the allegations and said, “I didn't hear the ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogans and did not ask my party workers to stop. BJP leaders are just making allegations about me. My statement is being distorted.”

“I just said that this is a party program and asked the party workers to raise party slogans instead of any individual slogans,” she added, clarifying the allegations levelled against her. 

Rajasthan Congress in trouble

The Congress leader’s clarification came after she was accused of allegedly stopping her workers from chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and said that “if any single slogan is chanted further, it will be considered as indiscipline”. Misra's comments are likely to escalate problems for the Rajasthan Congress as the state is all set to witness Assembly polls by the end of 2023. 

In response to the slogans raised by Congress workers during the event, Mishra urged the attendees amid the chaos to raise pro-Congress slogans if they want to chant. "If you love to chant slogans, then chant pro-Congress slogans and no other,” the Congress leader was heard saying in the video. 

BJP condemns Congress for insulting Bharat Mata 

Responding to the remarks made by Congress leader Aradhana Mishra, BJP national president JP Nadda took to Twitter and wrote, "Why does the Congress have so much objection to every subject related to the honor and pride of the country? It is clear that Congress has neither respect for the country, nor for the Constitution of the country, nor for the constitutional institutions. It just praises a particular family. The whole country knows very well the anti-national and anti-constitutional intentions of the Congress."

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla condemned the Congress leader’s statement and said, "Congress observer Aaradhna Tiwari says chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai is indiscipline; chant Congress Zindabad instead.”

“Earlier too in Rajasthan, Congress threatened workers against chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai and said chant Sonia Ji Ki Jai. This is what happens when you put Party, Parivar above Nation,” he said, adding, “Congress has a long history of abusing and insulting Bharat Mata, Bharat Ki Sena, Bharat ki Janta and Bharat Ki Sanskriti.”