"If you have faith in God then do it at your home": Kharge on PM Modi's meditation in Kanniyakumari

NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi meditates at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanniyakumari for two days, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Friday that politics and religion should never be brought together and if you have faith in God, then do it at your home.

"Politics and religion should never be brought together. these two should be kept separate. A man of one religion can be with you and a man of another religion can be against you. It is wrong to link religious sentiments with elections. He is going to Kanniyakumari and performing drama. How much money in the country is being wasted by employing so many police officers? The show-off you are doing by going there is only going to cause harm to the country. If you have faith in God then do it at your home," Kharge said.

Prime Minister Modi is in Kanniyakumari on a spiritual visit. He is meditating at the Dhyan Mandapam, the place where revered Hindu philosopher Swami Vivekananda is believed to have had a divine vision about 'Bharat Mata'. He will continue his meditation till June 1.

Further, the Congress President said that in Andhra Pradesh, BJP will get some seats but in states like Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra, Congress has the advantage.

"Whatever he (PM Modi) may say, the people of the country have decided that they won't accept the leadership of PM Modi. Inflation and unemployment have worked in this election. The issue of the constitution and democracy are also there in people's minds. In Andhra, they (BJP) will get some (seats) but in Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra. Congress has the advantage. In UP also, we will get more seats due to the alliance. I think the alliance's government will be formed," Mallikarjun Kharge said.

"Many people have understood how they (BJP) are ending reservations. If their intentions had been good, they would have filled the 30 lakh vacancies in central govt, and more than half would have gone to the poor, Dalits and backward. By the time this country has untouchability and they (people in reserved categories) don't get equal rights, reservations will be there," he added.

Prime Minister Modi drew criticism from the Congress after his remark that the world got to know about Mahatma Gandhi after the 1982 'Gandhi' movie.

Reacting to it, Kharge said, "If a person from Gujarat does not know about Mahatma Gandhi then what can we say? Why are you not promoting the man whom we consider the father of the nation? He was a Gujarati too. We have respect for him but you chose to go with Godse."