Rahul Gandhi to offer prayers at Mahakal temple in Ujjain ahead of beginning Malwa tour

INDORE: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will on Monday perform a 'puja' at the famous Mahakal temple in Ujjain before embarking on a two-day tour of the BJP-dominated Malwa-Nimar region.

Rahul's scheduled visit to the Mahakal temple comes several months after BJP chief Amit Shah visited the famous 'jyotirlinga' in Ujjain in the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh,  

Shah had visited the abode of Lord Shiva on July 14 this year before flagging off the "Jan Ashirwad Yatra" of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The BJP has been accusing the Congress chief of playing the "soft Hindutva card" to attract the voters in poll-bound states.

During his two-day tour, the Gandhi scion would address rallies in Jhabua, Indore, Dhar, Khargone and Mhow and also take part in a roadshow in Indore.

Congress President @RahulGandhi will be in Madhya Pradesh tomorrow as part of a two day tour. Catch his speeches live on our social media platforms. pic.twitter.com/KpgiXWvqSm — Congress (@INCIndia) 28 October 2018

In Madhya Pradesh, where elections are scheduled to be held on November 28, the Congress has been struggling to oust the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) from power for the last 15 years.

"During his visit to the Mahakaleshwar temple (one of the 12 'jyotirlingas' of Lord Shiva), Rahul will worship the Lord Mahakal like a common devotee," according to Congress secretary Sanjay Kapoor.

According to a programme released by Congress, Rahul Gandhi will address public meetings at Ujjain and Jhabua, respectively, after visiting the Mahakal temple.

He is also scheduled to participate in a roadshow to be organised by the Congress in Indore on Monday evening and will address a public meeting at Rajwada.

On Tuesday, the Congress chief will interact with news editors and the business community in two separate programmes at Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh. He will later address public meetings at Dhar and Khargone.

On Tuesday evening, the Congress chief would address a public meeting at Mhow after offering tribute at the memorial of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar's birthplace. Mhow, about 23 km from Indore, is the birthplace of Ambedkar.

Earlier, the Congress had proclaimed Gandhi as a "Shiv bhakt" (a devotee of Lord Shiva) ahead of the assembly elections held in Gujarat last year.

Gandhi began canvassing in Madhya Pradesh last month by offering prayers at the famous Kamta Nath temple in Satna district's Chitrakoot town.

Meanwhile, the BJP on Sunday ridiculed Rahul Gandhi for visiting temples in poll-bound states.

Apart from Madhya Pradesh, elections are also scheduled to be held in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan--both currently ruled by the BJP, and the north-eastern state of Mizoram, where Congress is in power, in the next two months.

BJP national vice-president Prabhat Jha said, "Congress has been making false allegations against BJP about playing religion-based politics. Now, Rahul should answer why he is running to temples ahead of elections?

"The Congress president should also clarify why he and his mother Sonia Gandhi did not visit the Mahakal temple during previous visits," he said.

Jha alleged that Gandhi was trying to mislead people by pretending himself as a religious person for the sake of electoral gains.

When asked about BJP's criticism, Kapoor said, "Rahul is visiting the Mahakal temple as a devotee of Lord Shiva.. In a pure sense of devotion. Do the BJP leaders solely reserve the right to worship Lord Shiva? Lord Shiva is for all".

(With Agency inputs)