Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Congress and its “ecosystem” was angry with him for taking part in Ganesh Puja, claiming that “power-hungry” people who were dividing society were also having problems with this festival.

Modi made the comment in an apparent reference to the criticism by the opposition parties for participating in Ganesh Puja rituals at the residence of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, while addressing a rally after launching the Odisha government’s flagship programme Subhadra Yojana in Bhubaneshwar.

“Ganesh Utsav is not just a festival of faith for our country. It played a very important role in the freedom movement.

“Even at that time, the British who followed the policy of divide and rule used to hate Ganesh Utsav. Even today, the power-hungry people, who are busy in dividing society are having problems with Ganesh Puja. You must have seen that the people of Congress and its ecosystem are angry because I participated in Ganesh Puja,” Modi said at the rally.

He also said that Lord Ganesh was “put behind bars” in Congress-ruled Karnataka by these people.  The Prime Minister  was apparently referring to a viral photo of Ganesh idol in a police van in the southern state.

“The whole country is disturbed because of the picture,” he said adding, “We cannot let these hateful elements move forward”.

When the British tried to divide the country based on caste and religion, Lokmanya Tilak had organised Ganesh Utshav and awakened the soul of the country, he said.

“Ganesh Utshav teaches us how to remain united and rise above caste and religion...Even today, all sections of people in our society participate in Ganesh Utsav without any discrimination.