Visiting temples in Gujarat won't fetch votes: Ravi Shankar Prasad to Rahul

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday today took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi over his visits to several temples in poll-bound Gujarat, saying that paying obeisance to gods will not get him votes.

Seeking to corner the Congress over the issue of development, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said it did everything when it was in power at the Centre to ensure that the Sardar Sarovar project was not completed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently inaugurated the project, which aims to bring irrigation and drinking waters to parts of the state, and the BJP believes that it will be a vote-catching issue in the assembly polls.

"I am getting curious as Rahul Gandhi is visiting temples and paying obeisance to gods with sincerity. I am told that social media has highlighted that local leaders told him about how to do 'aarti'," Prasad said, making light of the Congress vice president's visits to temples.

Political watchers believe that Gandhi's temple visits is an attempt by the Congress to counter the BJP's Hindutva plank in the state.

Prasad then launched an attack at him, saying, "Rahul Gandhi ji, paying obeisance to gods does not get you votes. Your work gets. It is necessary to know what your government had done to Gujarat. The Congress conspired to cause as much difficulty as it could to stop Sardar Sarovar project from completion."

Prasad also attacked former home minister P Chidambaram after he joined many eminent citizens in writing a letter to the government against its move to deport Rohingya Muslims.

He wondered as to how Chidambaram, who had replaced Shivraj Patil as home minister following the Mumbai terror attack, could be so "oblivious" to national security.

Prasad also condemned the Congress over its criticism of the Election Commission's decision to not announce Gujarat poll dates with that of Himachal Pradesh, saying it was uncalled for.

"Congress should fight us in Gujarat. Such attacks and allegations against constitutional bodies are uncalled for," he said.