Digvijay Singh taunts Narendra Modi's 'build toilets first and temples later' remark

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi over his new mantra: toilets first and temples later, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday asked whether the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate had experienced the spiritual pleasure and satisfaction of cleaning toilets.

“What is so great about it? He has been shifting stance every 15 days. I think there is nothing new in it. The BJP has to respond, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has to respond to Mr. Narendra Modi’s comment,” Singh told media here.

“I also have seen an article where he has said that the people who clean toilets get spiritual pleasure, satisfaction. Has he ever experienced this spiritual experience after cleaning a toilet?” he asked.

Modi had on Wednesday said build toilets first and temples later. Modi, who was speaking at a function organized here for the youth, said he dared to say so even though his image as a Hindutva leader did not allow him. “I am known to be a Hindutva leader. My image does not permit to say so, but I dare to say. My real thought is — ‘Pehle shauchalaya, phir devalaya’ (temple first, toilet later),” he said, and added that lakhs of rupees were spent on temples in villages, but there were no toilets there.

Modi’s toilets first and temples later remark could trigger a debate within his party that is keen to put forward the ‘temple issue’ ahead of the next general elections.