Bihar Polls Chhath Puja Row: Amit Shah Slams Rahul Gandhi's 'Italy Roots' And 'Drama' Jibe

A political firestorm has erupted over remarks on Chhath Puja, with Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the charge against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The controversy ignited after Gandhi, at a Bihar rally, allegedly termed PM Modi's planned participation in Chhath rituals in Delhi a 'drama'. 'Rahul Baba, what do you think? The importance of Chhatt Pooja, the faith of the whole country towards Chhatt Pooja, you will not be able to understand,' Amit Shah stated, directly targeting Gandhi. The BJP has framed Gandhi's comments, which questioned the creation of a separate artificial pond for the PM, as an insult to the sacred festival, Chhath Maiya, and the sentiments of people from Bihar and Purvanchal. The Congress leader's original comments were reportedly a critique of what he saw as a political stunt, contrasting a specially prepared pond with the polluted Yamuna river where other devotees perform rituals.