PM's campaigning in UP to shrink BJP's chances of winning polls: Gehlot

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said the more PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah campaign in Uttar Pradesh, the less will be the BJP's chances of winning the Assembly polls there.   The CM also questioned Modi's silence over hate speeches in Haridwar and Raipur recently, asking why has he not condemned the acts.

Commenting on the BJP's election campaign in UP, Gehlot said the prime minister and the home minister have "left all work and camping in UP".  

"They first faced a debacle in West Bengal and I think that the more they will do (campaigning), the less will be chances of their win as people understand everything," he said.  

Questioning the PM's silence over hate speeches, Gehlot said, "The message of the prime minister matters. Why does the prime minister not appeal. He should have condemned what happened in dharma sansad (Haridwar) and in Raipur."

"On one hand, you are adopting Gandhi and on the other, you are saying nothing on the kind of words which have been used about Mahatma. These two things cannot go along," he said addressing the media. 

Commenting on the arrest of Hindu religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj for allegedly praising Mahatma Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse in Raipur, Gehlot said people dare to say such things when such kind of atmosphere exists in the country.   He said the situation in the country is dangerous and there is a need for correcting it.

"The Congress as the Opposition has been doing its duty and Rahul Gandhi has been taking up all issues, be it inflation, unemployment or coronavirus vaccine, and it is the responsibility of the ruling party to respect sentiments of the Opposition in the interest of all," he said.  

Gehlot said the country will move forward only when there is unity, brotherhood and harmony, and the biggest responsibility to ensure this lies with the Union government.  

"The opposition is fulfilling its duty. Rahul Gandhi is the person who had warned the government on coronavirus in February last year. He talked about vaccines, inflation, unemployment and other issues. It is the responsibility of the party in power to respect sentiments of the Opposition, in the interest of their own party, government and the country," he said.  

Gehlot also expressed concern over rising number of coronavirus cases and appealed to people to follow guidelines to stay safe from the infection.