Like British, Cong also disapproves of Ganesha puja: Modi

Adding fresh fuel to the controversy over his visit to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud's residence for Ganesha puja celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said much like the British, the Congress too disapproved of the puja.

Addressing a public meeting in Bhubaneshwar, Modi said the British looked upon the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations with suspicion because Balgangadhar Tilak had turned the festivities into a tool for expressing the popular yearning for independence from the British yoke.

Taking a cue from the British, the Congress too was trying to make an issue out of his participation in the Ganesha puja recently, he said.

While the PM did not elaborate further regarding where he participated in the puja, he was evidently referring to his recent visit to CJI Chandrachud's official residence recently to take part in the Ganapati puja. The PM took part in "aarti" alongside the CJI and posted the pictures on his X handle.

The visit triggered a political storm with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and others protesting against Modi's participation in the puja at the CJI's residence.

Raut demanded that CJI Chandrachud must recuse himself from the case pertaining to a petition filed by a Shiv Sena MLA challenging a ruling by the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker since the PM too was a party to the case.

Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushsn too objected to the PM's visit.

Modi, who was speaking after kicking off multiple projects and the "Subhadra Yojana" meant for giving financial benefits to women, also referred to the recent communal riots in Congress-ruled Karnataka and said in Karnataka efforts were underway to put the Ganesha in a cage.