‘Yogi jis or Modi jis?’: Mallikarjun Kharge asks BJP to choose between ‘batenge, katenge’ and ‘ek hai toh safe hai’ slogans | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asking it to first decide between the two different slogans of its leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi — ‘Ek hai toh safe hi‘, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath — ‘Batenge toh katenge‘.
Addressing a press conference in Nagpur city of Maharashtra, where assembly elections will be held on November 20, Kharge asked the BJP to choose between Yogi Adityanath’s ‘divisive’ slogan and Prime Minister Modi’s unity message.
Also read: ‘Ek hai toh safe hai’, says PM Modi in his new pitch after Yogi Adityanath’s ‘batenge toh katenge’ slogan
“First, you decide among yourselves whose slogan should be followed – Yogi jis or Modi jis,” he said. “BJP leaders are giving inflammatory speeches and speaking lies and diverting people’s attention from core issues,” Kharge added.
The Congress chief also refuted UP CM’s statementsbatenge toh katengeslogan by claiming that several leaders of his party laid down their lives to unite the country. Those who want the country to remain united will never make such divisive comments, he said.
“You only divide but blame others. You say ‘batenge toh katenge‘. Those who want the country to remain united will never raise such divisive slogans,” he said.
A day earlier, Prime Minister Modi gave a new pitch in Maharashtra –‘Ek hai toh safe hi‘ (We are safe only when we are united) while accusing the Congress of pitting one caste against another.
“The only agenda of the Congress party is to pit one caste against another. They don’t want SCs, STs and OBCs to progress and get due recognition… Remember: ‘Ek hai toh safe hi‘ he had said.
Prime Minister’s new slogan came amid row over Yogi Adityanath’s ‘batenge toh katenge‘ pitch. The phrase was first used by the UP CM at a rally in Agra in the context of Hindu minorities being victims of violence in Bangladesh.
Also read: Kharge accuses BJP of ‘rotten thoughts’ and conspiracy in Jharkhand
Later, Prime Minister Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also made similar pleas for Hindu unity. During his annual Vijaya Dashami address this year, Bhagwat said that “being disorganized and weak is like inviting atrocities by the wicked”.
Yogi Adityanath had also repeated the slogan at an election rally in Maharashtra while campaigning for ruling Mahayuti.