In a new addition to the Hanuman Chalisa row, and as a jibe condemning Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader wrote a scathing letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, asking for permission to recite Hanuman Chalisa and offer namaz outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence.
This was an apparent retort to an earlier and similar remark made by Member of Parliament (MP) Navneet Rana and her husband and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Ravi Rana in Maharashtra for Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Fahmida Hasan Khan, a leader from Sharad Pawar-led NCP, requested for permission in a letter to read namaz, Hanuman Chalisa, Durga Chalisa, Guru Granth Sahib, Namokar Mantra and more outside the prime minister's house at Delhi's Lok Kalyan Marg.
"But the way inflation and unemployment are increasing in the country, it has become necessary to wake up the Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi," Khan said.
'Want To Hold an All-Inclusive Prayer': NCP Leader
She noted that she chanted Hanuman Chalisa and offered Durga Puja at her home.
"If Ravi Rana and Navneet Rana can enjoy the benefit of reading Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree (Uddhav Thackeray's residence), we should be allowed to go to PM Modi's residence in Delhi to offer Namaz, Hanuman Chalisa and Durga Chalisa," she continued, in an interview with NDTV.
"I want to hold an all-inclusive prayer. If Navneet Rana can say she wants to awaken Uddhav Thackeray's Hindutva, the Jain religion of our Home Minister and Prime Minister should also be awakened," she added.
No one is talking about the real concerns, Khan expressed, blaming the central government for downfall in GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth and rise in unemployment. "These stunts are done by the central government to divert the attention of the people," she accused.
(With inputs from NDTV.)
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