Modi slams Congress, RJD for mocking Chhath and celebrating ‘foreign festivals’, says ‘no time for Ram Temple’

PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), accusing them of disrespecting Indian traditions by calling the Chhath festival 'drama' while celebrating 'foreign festivals' like Halloween.

Addressing a rally in poll-bound Saharsa, Bihar, Modi attacked RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, whose family recently shared photos of their Halloween celebration on social media. “These RJD and Congress people travel all over the world. We read about it on social media and feel ashamed, but they don’t find time to visit the Ram Temple,” Modi said.

He invoked religious symbolism from the Ramayana to highlight what he called the opposition’s “disconnect” with Indian culture. “There’s a temple built there for Nishad Raj; there’s also a temple for Lord Valmiki in Ayodhya, and one for Shabari Mata. If you have a problem with Ram, at least bow your head at the feet of Nishad Raj. Why are you ashamed of that? They won’t go. They’ll travel all over the world,” Modi said, adding that “the royal family of Congress and RJD celebrate festivals of the world but mock the Chhath festival as drama.”

The remarks came after videos surfaced of Lalu Prasad Yadav celebrating Halloween with his grandchildren. The visuals, shared by his daughter and RJD leader Rohini Acharya, showed Yadav posing with children dressed in costumes, captioned, “Happy Halloween to everyone.”

Modi’s attack also revived an earlier controversy from February, when Lalu Prasad had described the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj as “faltu” (meaningless). At the time, reacting to a stampede at the New Delhi railway station that killed 18 people, he had said, “The Kumbh has no meaning… Faltu hai Kumbh (Is there any meaning to Kumbh? It is just meaningless).”

The comments triggered strong backlash from the BJP and Hindu religious leaders. Bihar BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma said the remarks reflected the RJD’s “mindset towards Hinduism,” while Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha accused Yadav of “insulting Sanatana dharma” and “playing politics over the deaths.”

The war of words has intensified ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, which will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting on November 14.