Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing a public rally in Belagavi on Sunday, claimed that Rahul Gandhi had “insulted the great kings and queens of India such as Shivaji Maharaj and Kittur Chennamma.” He further said the “shehzada” (referring to Mr. Gandhi), did not dare speak of the “atrocities committed by Nawabs, Nizams, Sultans, and Badshahs, over several centuries”.
Speaking at a campaign rally for BJP candidates Jagadish Shettar and Anna Saheb Jolle, Mr. Modi furthered the Hindu-Muslim narrative of his recent speeches, “The Congress prince has said that the Rajas and Maharajas of the past were brutal rules who snatched the properties of the common people. He said they routinely exploited their subjects.” Offering his interpretation of the statement, the Prime Minister claimed, “What does this mean? It only means that he has insulted great kings like Shivaji Maharaj and queens like Kittur Chennamma.”
